When Harry Met Serena:::
by Rakusa
Summary: ...all hell broke Loose. New to the wizarding world, the two find themselves neighbors and housemates and their stories closely intertwine. Respective Canon pairings, promise.
1. Year 1

Title: When Harry Met Serena...

Sum: ...all hell broke Loose. New to the wizarding world, the two find themselves neighbors and housemates and their stories closely intertwine. Respective Canon pairings, promise.

Date Started: 26 March 2010

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Disclaimer: Neither Potter nor Moon world is owned by me in any form, except my copy of bought books/manga/videos of the respective series. If either creator stumbles upon my humble little fic, I mean no harm, and it was purely for the benefit and entertainment of my creativity and to supply a continuation of the popularity of these series to the rest of the world. May the good never die and the bad burn away and disappear far from sight forever.

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AN: This is why I should never be lead to areas of Fanfiction that I hadn't intended to go. First it was twilight, then it was Sailor Moon/Twilight- still haven't looked too closely there, but started writing for it, erg. Now I've been drawn into the Sailor Moon/Potter world, something I've kicked around with in the back of my head before, trying to make it sound good and not a cheap attempt to throw them together. I had a really great idea once, and it sounded really good, but I didn't write it down, and it stuck in the back of my head taunting me just out of reach of what it was years later. I tried writing a Potter fic after the 3rd one, and it was very similar to the 4th book before it came out, just reversal of who was mad at him and location- I thought he'd end up in the desert with wormtail and Voldermort and one of his friends would help him back. Wasn't quite like that, and after reading the 4th book I couldn't continue. Now... a couple of stories have pulled me in, either because they're using a lot of my ideas when I leave reviews for them, or stories that make me angry with how poorly thought out they are. So... I'm writing this fic to rectify it. It won't be long, I hope, it's not my intention to start a new story, but it must be done, because frankly, this new idea won't leave me alone.

An2: Now, before you get on me about this taking place in England for the Senshi world, let me remind you, they're not supposed to be in America either, the story took place in Japan, brought to the ENTIRE world, and given names and languages to fit the region that they came to. Serena was supposed to be named Victoria at first (which is funny with the whole twilight thing... never mind), and in the manga calls her Bunny. Point 2: There are at least 3 other Wizarding Schools that are mentioned in the books and they're only in Europe. If Serena/Bunny/Victoria/Usagi/Odango/Etc. had been in any other location but London, including Japan, she wouldn't have gone to Hogwarts, no matter how you fanagle it if she were a Wizard/Witch from any other location, she would have gone to the closest one. Whose to say there isn't one in Japan?

AN3: I'm not going to lie, I haven't read Potter in several years, haven't seen the movies in just about as long, so there might be gaps, mistakes in factual items in this story, as according to Rowling, I apologize ahead of time, and if you catch any, please point it out, I'm trying to go by memory. Part of this though, is intentional, for I have no reason, desire to write 7 years worth of history of the Potter books or SM world. Oh, and they're going to be 14 when they start school in my story, sorry.

Please Read and Review and Enjoy!

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Part 1

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The night was silent on Piviet Drive, all except house number 9. The commotion that went on was ridiculous, or so thought the Dursley family, not more than five houses away from them, in their own residency, in number 4. It was August and Vernon was not a happy man, inside the cubby-hole they used to stuff the Potter brat, now resided the one thing he and Petunia has sworn would never happen to the boy, be invited and accepted into Hogwarts, School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and proof of it was sitting in that cramped space, the trunk he would use to leave the house and head off to school. Despite all of their efforts, Harry was informed and told so directly on the day of his birthday. The letters had started long before that, and built up when they hadn't been received by the intended addressee.

If they didn't cause a hubbub with all of their commotion, he didn't think it appropriate for this family to begin now, and it was quite a racket as their houses were on the furthest ends of the neighborhood. It was also the middle of the night and Vernon threw his robe on to go deal with the problem, Petunia didn't even stir from the bed, except to tell him good luck.

Harry stood at his window and watched his uncle clad in blue robe, striped blue and white pajamas and blue fuzzy slippers stalk down the street to the house that their newest neighbors had just moved into. He was curious, he had been hearing noises from the street so much clearer now that he actually had a room, the room Dudley had used as his closet before life had changed for Harry. It had started before his birthday, he just hadn't realized it until Hagrid forced his way into his life, on his birthday, and the half-giant was a better present than any package he could receive.

Harry had seen the moving trucks shortly before Dudley's birthday, and had seen the woman, a tall leggy woman with black hair that came down her back with the strangest sheen of green in it. He had thought it had just been a reflection of light of one of the packages around them, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it had been that color for real. She had turn her garnet eyes on him and shooed his eyes away, to go back to what he was doing.

He complied, but out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen the man unloading the truck, he was tall, thin and short cropped blond hair. His clothes were loose and baggy, not the typical style for Englanders and they spoke with a crisp London accent.

He hadn't seen any children, and so he went back to the weeding of the garden Petunia had ordered him to do. She didn't mind planting, but maintenance wasn't her strong point. He'd ripped at the weeds, tearing them out of the ground with frustration, he hated the chores, and he hated that none of the children his age would speak to him, all too scared of Dudley's influence. He'd hoped to meet these new comers and intervene before Dudley had poisoned their minds, but it seemed, there weren't any children at all, just another barren house on the block to go with all the others. Dudley and he were the only children in the neighborhood, all of Dudley's friends came from the adjacent one.

That was before he'd realized that he would be going to a school far away from here, somewhere he'd never heard of before and Dudley would be going to some crummy private school here in London that his dad wanted him to go to. With that happy smile returned at the thought, Harry continued watching his Uncle's heavy footed progress towards the neighbors. He could move when he wanted to, but most of the time he was just as lazy and fat as his son.

Harry hated to admit it, but he took after his aunt, with the long skinny body and dark hair, but he was different too, he was still short for his age and his skinniness might be out of malnutrition rather than genetic traits. His aunt had darker brown-reddish hair and his was almost completely black with the exception of a few red-colored strands that he'd see when it got too long and shaggy. His eyes were green while her's were a plain, boring old color and his skin was several shades darker than the Dursley family's.

The door opened along the long narrow street and the man stood, propped up against the frame with his arms crossed against his chest. Even from this distance, Harry could see his uncle turning red, but either from embarrassment or anger, he wasn't sure. He leaned further into the open window, resting his arms against the top of the sliding glass, the top had been taken down for air and he hoped to strain his ears far enough to hear the conversation.

The noise had ceased and the two men talked for a little while before the other man turned and shut the door in Vernon's face. Harry's uncle turned back towards their house, stomping in anger, he had not gotten what he'd wanted and Harry knew that tomorrow would be a rough day on him.

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His summary of the following day was exactly like he'd thought it would be, he got yelled at, told to do more chores to his already towering list he needed to complete before he went off to Hogwarts and he'd been denied Breakfast and Dinner, only sneaking lunch in when Petunia wasn't looking. Dudley wasn't making matters any better, he would spill things and claim it was an accident, adding only more to Harry's list. His only reprieve was when he and Petunia left to get "Dudley-woggums" some new clothing for the school he'd be attending. It didn't last long as Vernon returned home and shouted orders at the poor boy.

"Dudders" got a lot of praise when he and his mother returned and Harry was loaded up with bags to put the over-grown boy's clothes away. Harry was sorely tempted to toss them in the closet and say that's where the pig usually horded his stuff, but he knew better, and he only had a week to trudge through before he'd find himself in a boarding school that offered him only freedom from the life he had been in for the last 13 years. The only other time he'd known it, he'd been too young to remember or take advantage of.

Later that night, Harry escaped to his bedroom before more work could be tossed at him and sat in his chair by the window and looked out at the house that had been quiet all day and all night since the interaction the night before. A room was lit up in the upper floor, the window was small, but he could catch a shape moving within, it looked like it was dancing with the way the shadow flickered. He fell asleep watching the movement, something in him, comforted by that sight.

The week went by slowly, it wasn't fast enough for Harry in his excitement to get to the new school. He'd found himself catching a bus the morning of to the train station, his truck filled and Hedwing in her cage. The bus driver had barely spared him a glance or the bird, and Harry thought that odd as the rest of the passengers kept looking at it. He disembarked the bus and pulled his trunk along, looking for platform 9¾, but it was nowhere to be found, he'd gotten waved off as if he was just some prankster when he'd asked the train station attendant and found himself staring at a wall between platform 9 and 10. The red-haired family had been kind enough to explain it to him when he'd stumbled upon them and watched as one by one, the red-haired children disappeared into the very same wall.

He looked back towards the little red-headed girl, wondering why she wasn't joining them. "She's not old enough yet, she'll be along next year. Go on ahead, it's Ron's first time too."

Harry took a deep breath and with Ron, they ran towards the wall, hoping not to be flattened against it or make fools of themselves by bouncing off. The made it through just as the train began to whistle. "Well, come along, me brothers should be up ahead of us. I'm a first year too, would you like to share a cabin?"

Harry and Ron made it on-board and stationed out a cabin before anyone could claim it. It wasn't long before the train took off and a girl with frizzy brown hair was forcing her way in, her front teeth slightly too large for her face. She was already dressed in her black robes for the school. She'd introduced herself as Hermione and ignored Ron's rude behavior and fixed Harry's glasses for him. They both learned his name and _who_ he was, Ron seemed impressed, but neither made a fuss and accepted him for just being some kid who'd become famous and then disappeared for years. Ron was more interested in the cart coming by with all the candy on it.

"Be careful of the frogs, or they'll-" Harry found out the hard way as it jumped onto first his head, then out the open window.

"Well, if it isn't a mudblood, a Weasley and Potter."

"You take that back!" Hermione snapped, standing and had wand out, pointing in the face of the too-blond haired boy with his two goons beside him.

"Oh relax, I have no interest in you." The boy turned his attention to the two sitting still. "What's the matter Weasley, you haven't gotten your hand-me downs yet?"

"I've got my robes, and that's all." Ron was sitting forward, ready to attack if provoked.

"I don't see why you'd degrade yourself like this Potter. One's got no magic in her family, and the other is an embarrassment to the wizarding community."

"I've made my decisions Malfoy, you might as well move on, this cabin is full."

The boy, Draco Malfoy, made a face and turned around, he wouldn't associate with Potter longer than he had to, if that's his response.

"I think you've just made yourself an enemy." Ron stated once the door slid shut again.

"What's a mudblood?" Harry turned to look at Hermione, who was still fuming over the name.

"It's a slang term, very bad actually, for a witch or wizard whose parents are magical. There's half bloods too, who has only one magical parent, the other a muggle." Ron explained, so Hermione wouldn't have to go into the explanation herself. "It's almost a swear word the way some people use it, it's shortened from the real term: muggle-born."

Harry frowned, clearly disgusted with the term himself and offered the two some of the candy he'd bought, actually for them. "My parents are very proud of me, couldn't be happier when I got my letter from Hogwarts, we had to figure out what it was first, but once we did, it was ok by them." Hermione finally spoke, digging into a Bertie's bot.

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The sorting hat placed Hermione, Ron and a few other kids that Harry had gotten to know in the Gryffindor house, Ron sat with his brothers, second to last child in the family, and following in all of his older brother's footsteps. The poor girl, he mused as he waited his turn, being the last child, and only daughter with six older brothers, it must have been hard on her in numerous sort of ways. Malfoy and many of his followers and his like were placed in Slytherin. Harry knew one thing, he didn't want to be in that house.

When his name was finally called, there was a hush that went through the room and he made his way to the sorting hat with all the eyes on him, it was very nerve racking. He sat on the chair and the hat was plunked on top of his head. It felt like forever compared to the others, and the hat spoke to him while he chanted over and over again "please, please, please Gryffindor."

"Gryffindor, hmm? I see great things for you in all the houses, but no, you do not belong in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, you are right, but Slytherin calls to you too. Are you sure you don't want to be in that house? Many great, terrible yes, but great things have come from there. Many great people, very powerful indeed. Well.. if you're sure-" Outloud to the entire room, the hat bellowed. "Gryffindor!" The table that sat the Gryffindor house erupted into applause, as they hooted and hollered as the hat was taken off of Harry's head and he made his way to his new friends.

The surnames flew by from P to R before another name was called out. "Serena Riddle!" The silence that followed was deafening, and the treatment the blond girl received as she walked up to the stool was frighteningly frosty, except for a few exceptions at the Slytherin table, they began whispering amongst themselves, and then the whole room erupted with chatter.

"Who is she?" Harry leaned forward to talk to Ron and Hermione. He was imagining she was some celebrity's daughter in the wizarding world, or a controversial muggle who appeared to have wizard powers.

"That is..." Ron couldn't finish.

"He-who-must-not-be-named's child." This Serena practically glided up to the stool and perched there as if she was a princess.

"No, you have to be wrong, she's too.. bright to be the dark lord's child." Ron disagreed.

Harry had to agree with him, he didn't know this 'dark lord' they were talking about, but the girl seemed like royalty and held herself that way too, but didn't look presumptuous, just... regal. "What are you talking about?" Hermione whispered furiously back. "She's totally go that well-endowed, everything belongs at her feet attitude."

"Oh, calm down Hermione, she's just got good posture and is pretty." Harry tried to get the brunette to sit back and wait out the results with him. If anything, her sorting took longer than his had, and his had felt like forever and a day. Other children had been barely touching their head, in the motion of going downward when the hat had called out their house, what was it between him and this girl that would require something different? Would she be placed in the two he didn't belong in, and the hat was trying to sort that out, or was she the same unique issue that Harry had gone through? Between Gryffindor and Slytherin? He hoped she didn't get put in Slytherin, she looked completely out of place with those oil-slicked heads at the table next to them, and they seemed to be relishing her arrival in their house with great anticipated breaths.

"Harry." Hermione was saying, trying to get his attention, and seemed to be frustrated at her efforts too, he wondered how long she'd been saying his name. "Do you not know who the dark lord is?" She asked when his eyes came to her.

"He's the one that murdered your parents, tried to do so to you, and gave you that scar." She whispered so only he could hear, but everyone else, but him, had already heard the story a hundred times. She just didn't want to point it out, least they didn't know, he was _actually the Harry_ _Potter_.

"And she's his daughter." Ron finished. "We didn't even know he had a daughter."

"So then maybe she isn't?" Harry asked hopefully, but somehow already knowing the truth as he looked forward again at the girl still yet to be sorted.

Ron's response clinched it. "There are no other Riddles in the Wizarding world."

"Gryffindor!" The hat's declaration just as Ron's words came to halt startled everyone, and there was a ruckus at the Slytherin table as the Gryffindors put up at least a little show of welcoming their newest celebrity wizard child to their table, the clapping was intermittent and weak. Serena didn't seem to mind as she floated towards them, before tripping on an invisible crack in the floor and went flying forward before catching herself and sliding with red tint to her cheeks into an available spot. Two more opened on either side of her as she sat down and people squeezed close to their neighbors so as not to be near her.

Harry would have gone to her side but Professor McGonagall was at the foot of the Syltherin table, ready to chew them out, but a man in black robes, with black hair was next to her side. "Minerva, if you'd please allow me to handle my own house." His voice was very dry and his black eyes looked slow but there was intelligence behind them as he looked at Harry and then at Serena, and more than that, there was malice, at least towards him.

McGonagall nodded and left to go back to sorting. "Please do, Severus. Kayla Ritchee!"

"10 points from Slytherin, this is a very poor start to the year, ladies and gentlemen, I expected better out of you, we're not Gryffindor, now are we? We do things with taste. You first years have a lot to learn, and I had thought the other years would be able to teach it to you. Now settle down."

"But Professor Snape- Serena- the hat got it wrong!"

"The hat does not get it wrong, now sit down Mr. Malfoy, before you force me to take more points away."

Malfoy sank back to his seat, but he was ogling Serena, who had her back to him and was completely unaware of the discomfort she had around her, or at least pretending very well that it didn't bother her. Harry didn't like the Slytherin ogling one of the people at the Gryffindor table, even if she was perceived as the dark lord's child, he was sure there had to be some mistake, she didn't look evil. She could have been a muggle born with the unfortunate side-effect of having the same last name as the most evil man in all of the wizarding community.

Harry stood and Snape's black eyes turned to him as he was just heading back to the teacher's table. "What do you think you're doing Potter?"

"Exchanging seats?" He responded with his own question, as if it wasn't allowed.

"Proceed." Snape watched, the whole room watched, as Potter moved down the rows to sit next to Serena, almost close enough to be touching. Snape's eyes narrowed at this, but he turned back to the table that all the Professors sat at, save McGonagall. The headmasters eyes danced at the move, and McGonagall seemed pleased as well.

Serena's gaze turned to him and she offered him a small smile in thanks before her eyes went back to the table. Her energy seemed to brim with good feelings, so he didn't understand what everyone was so afraid of. She hadn't killed his parents, even if her father was the 'dark lord', just as he hadn't killed the dark lord, it was his mother that had sacrificed herself to save him and she ended the other man's life.

When sorting was finished and all houses assigned, the headmaster gave his speech for the new year "blah, blah blah... Hope we all make unexpected friendships that last us a lifetime.... blah, blah, blah..." Then the feast was before them in a wave of his arms.

"Wow." Serena looked at all the sudden food. "I think I've gone to heaven."

"Me too!" Harry and Serena dug into the food, bringing it all onto their plates as much as they could and while Harry dug into it with relish, never seeing so much food he could eat, Serena was scarfing it down quickly. He caught himself chuckling as he watched her, it seemed she had it down to an art, getting as much food in without choking or getting fat. "Wow, I've never seen someone so skinny, eat so much."

"Ah..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "It's kind of a trait of mine, sorry. I'm sure it looks disgusting, how much food goes into my body." She followed it with a laugh of embarrassment.

"No, it's fine. I think you should enjoy your food." Just not over-do it like Dudley, though he didn't know how much food this girl was used to eating, she must not have more than 3 meals a day if she ate like that. Dudley never stopped stuffing his face throughout the day, that was disgusting.

They continued to eat in mostly silence. Every once in awhile, they'd begin some line of commentary before it was time for them to follow their Prefects to their house quarters and learn the password to get past the Fat Lady.

Harry had lost Serena in the shuffle, but Ron and Hermione had teamed up and were at his elbows as soon as they started walking. "What was she like?" Ron asked excited and Hermione slapped him across the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"She's evil's spawn!" She hissed.

"She's also cute." Ron responded and Harry settled into the feel of this, they'd only known each other a day, but already he felt like they'd been friends forever.

"She was... nice. A little quiet, but really, no alarm. Maybe you're wrong guys, maybe she's not Voldormort's child, maybe she's just a muggle-born and has the last name Riddle."

Ron seemed to think about this but Hermione shook her head. "That'd be a big coincidence. It's not common knowledge, in fact, I think there was an attempt at a cover up, but with the way the Slytherins were acting, I have to suspect that she is Tom Riddle's daughter."

"But she's in our house!" Ron protested, he didn't want the worst wizard in history's offspring anywhere near his quarters.

"Maybe it's a mix-up." Hermione put out there.

Harry and Ron both shook their heads. "No, it took forever, but the sorting hat is never wrong." Ron was sure about this. "She's here for a reason, if you are right and she is the heir, but I feel as if it's a good sign if the hat put her here, it has to attest to her character, right?"

"Only time will tell." Hermione finally responded, she cast a suspicious eye towards the blond, walking by herself a little ways back, a couple of other girls were looking at her, as if trying to decide something before one finally braved it and started walking with her. The two chatted and more slowly joined them, but not many.

Harry had a feeling that something bad was going to happen and he rubbed at his scar. He saw the new defense of dark arts teacher walking away from them. "Time." He agreed, and nothing else but her behavior would change his mind that she wasn't actually evil reincarnated, Hermione would soon learn that, he was sure. In the mean time, he was going to go up to his room and unpack what little he could and get ready for the day's events ahead of him.

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EAN: So what do you think so far? I'm thinking it won't be a very long story... but things haven't started to unpack yet, have they? Hm... any thoughts, ideas? I have a vague one that I'm working towards, but I guess we'll have to see where it goes. Close enough to character descriptions/ IC? I hope so, like I said, I haven't read Potter in awhile, so it's about as close as you'll get. Want anything more? Different interactions? I'm working something out as we speak, for the next part.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

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Potions was the worst, and it wasn't just because the class was hard and the professor hated him from the start. Rather, it was more complicated than that. Serena, Ron and Hermione were all in his class with him and so were some other members of Gryffindor, so too were members from Slytherin and among them were Malfoy and his lackeys.

Malfoy had sidled up next to Serena who had been sitting next to another Gryffindor girl and was chatting away with her, she ignored Malfoy as he sat right next to her. Snape came in and sneered at Harry and he slapped down a book in front of Serena. "Tell me what this says."

Serena looked at it before looking up at Snape. "I don't understand it." The words were written in a weird way, the symbols weren't familiar to anyone in the room.

"No, I wouldn't expect you to read a language you've never seen before. Open the pages." Serena did as she was instructed and Harry had to cover his ears from noise that came out of it.

Serena blinked innocently at Snape. "I haven't a clue what it means."

Harry didn't volunteer his service, he could understand the words even if she didn't, he wondered why no one else was volunteering their opinion either. Perhaps it was a trick by Snape they were well aware of, and anyone who spoke out of turn would be punished. Snape sneered for a moment before pulling the book away and shutting it up. "We will see Miss Riddle, on how truthful you are."

There was a frown that tugged at her lips, she didn't understand his antagonism any more than Harry did. "Who can answer the question on the board?" As he spoke words came across it and Hermione raised her hand before the question had even finished.

"Miss Granger." Snape called upon. "You haven't even seen the entire problem yet. Five points from Gryffindor for being a know-it-all."

Hermione started to squawk, but refrained from doing so and lowered her hand. Harry wondered if she'd had the answer or if she'd only had a question about how it was being done. She quickly learned her lesson, even if it killed her from raising her hand every time she knew the true answer, and even when Snape picked on Harry for not reading the textbook ahead of time and she knew the correct response.

"That book was very interesting." Hermione mumbled after class. "I wonder why she couldn't understand it..."

Serena caught up to them and walked along side Harry. "I have Transfigurations next. What does your schedule look like?"

"I actually have the same class." Harry responded. "Ron, Hermione?" They had suddenly grown quiet and weren't looking at the two of them, looking straight ahead actually.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself." Serena turned to them, a broad smile on her face. "I'm Serena. Are you friends of Harry's?"

"Ron." He stuck out his hand and she shook it without a second thought. Hermione was looking away, trying to slowly slip into the rest of the crowd. "That's Hermione. She's a little rude, I'm sorry."

At Ron's words, he got a reaction out of her and she whirled around. "I am not rude!" Hermione shouted and everyone turned to look at her and in a quieter voice she continued. "I'm just blunt on occasion. Yes, I'm Hermione." Ron was about to say something when Serena threw herself at the brunette in a hug. Hermione, shocked, returned it with putting her arms lightly around the blond.

"I'm sorry." Serena whispered in Hermione's ear and she had poured it out in such a heartfelt way that Hermione had no choice but to forgive her for everything she may or may not have done and everything that Hermione had been holding against her. Even if it had been wise to do so originally.

Serena moved away, releasing Hermione and turned to Ron and Harry, Hermione still in a daze by her side, but never did Serena turn her back on Hermione. Ron looked absolutely flabergasted, while Harry only looked confused at the action, nobody really _hugged_ in his memory, and only occasionally when Petunia lavished a lot of unwanted affection on Dudley. Surely it wasn't the norm, but it was what he grew up with.

"What was that all about?" Ron demanded.

"Nothing." Hermione chuckled, mildly embarrassed at being part of that massive amount of contact. She and Serena shared a glance and Hermione smiled reassuringly and Serena returned it gladly. The four of them headed towards Transfigurations, and most of their classes were shared through the day, except a few, one where there was only Harry, Serena and Malfoy.

That very same class found them several weeks later. The four had gotten rather close, but there were still some things Harry didn't know about his friends, as was demonstrated during the class he most detested.

"Herbology." He groaned.

"Perhaps it'll help you with those weeds you hate." Serena commented idly as she leaned forward to take down a plant from the stack near them, and headed for a table to start on what the professor had told them to do once they got the plant.

Harry didn't think anything of her comment, weeds were a pain to all muggles and then he stopped and stared at her. "You were raised with muggles?" He asked on a whisper.

Serena looked at him and tilted her head. "Of course, I thought you knew that." She giggled as she slowly worked out the plant that refused to budge. "I thought that was why you sat with me the first day..." She continued when she finally got the shrieking plant out and replanted it like they were taught. Harry watched her, confused and impressed at how well she was in this field, they seemed to warm to her. Neville too was in their class, and the boy was hopeless in everything they'd seen him do today, except he'd had the advantage in here too, his grandmother taught him well.

"What are you talking about?"

"I- well- what did you sit with me for, and cause such a commotion about then?"She stopped what she was doing so she could sit back and look at him while she waited for his answer.

He couldn't tell if she knew who she was supposed to be, just like how he was so well known, but she'd never treated him like a celebrity. He treated her the same way back, and he thought that was the basis for their friendship, but maybe she knew more about everything that he thought she did, maybe more than he did actually. He didn't really want to say the real reason though, that he hadn't wanted her to feel ostracized and left alone, because he'd been there too much as it was, and even though he had friends now, it could still happen again. "You looked like you could use a friend."

Serena laughed and shook her head, something only she knew amused her. "That was nice of you, Harry, but I think, being friends with me might have hindered your chances of gaining more friends. People don't seem to like me around here. We both know the two of us could use some."

"Wa- wait, what?" Harry's head snapped around to meet her gaze.

Serena's eyes grew large and she realized what she was talking about. "Never mind." She gathered her supplies and bolted to Malfoy's side, and worked there for the rest of the class period, she knew she was practically safe over there as Malfoy and him didn't get along too well, and if they ever confronted each other it was with insults and antagonism. They preferred to avoid each other.

After class, he tried to corner him, but she was always with another housemate or slipping down a corridor or around a corner or using the staircases to her advantage, just stepping off of them as they decided to move to another location. Harry was impressed by her ability to navigate them, most students tried to out-run them, and always got stuck somewhere they didn't want to be and had to wait until they moved again or go the long way around. There were a few older students that had a grasp on how to manage them, but they had years of experience.

Ron joined him for lunch, Serena and a couple of girls were down at the other end chatting, Serena had picked the spot after sighting Harry. Harry was just about to get up and move down there to confront her, witnesses be damned when Ron sank down onto the spot next to Harry with a groan and dropped his head onto the table.

"What's the matter, Ron?"

"Tell her to stop, please?" Harry thought he was talking about Serena at first, but he was waving in a different direction as Hermione just came in. "I can't stand it anymore, she's too much, tell her to stop or go away, either works."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she took the seat across from them. "Stop being such a baby, Ron."

"What's the matter?" Harry repeated amused, these two were full of interesting situations.

"She keeps going on and on about EVERYTHING!" He banged his head on his arms.

"I was trying to help him pronounce leviosa right."

"And tells me that everything else I've been doing and how I've been doing it is wrong." Ron muttered, clearly annoyed. Serena glanced down at them and he saw her shoulders sag and she got more animated in her conversation with the other girls in their house.

Hermione huffed and looked at Harry. "Well, it's true. I can't help it if he's always wrong."

Ron lifted his head up to glare at her and opened his mouth to tell her off, but Harry cut him off, trying to keep the peace as much as he could. "Look, we should all be learning from Hermione, she knows her studies, perhaps we could find a way to work together, help each other out."

"Who-know-who's daughter joining us on these little study meetings?" Ron asked, down the table at Serena and then back to his friend.

"You now too?" Harry asked, wondering why everyone in this school was so judgmental, him, golden boy, her, the plague?

"Nah, she's a sweetheart, and cute." He sighed as he looked back down at the blond, but it probably wasn't accurate to call her that, her hair was more of a gold-silver mix color. "It's just ironic to think of her like that."

"What is the problem that the two of you have with her?"

"Her father killed muggles, muggle-born and half-bloods." Hermione responded, but her face was open, she wasn't upset with the girl anymore, something about her had changed Hermione's mind, at least until she proved otherwise, or started casting suspicions on herself again. "The deaths weren't pretty, far from it. They also attacked any resistance or muggle-lovers."

"My parents were part of the resistance, if it wasn't for you, they wouldn't be here today either. But, then again, nobody knows for sure, exactly who this girl is, perhaps it is all just a mistake." Ron was trying to look hopeful, but he was kind of fond for his nickname for her, even if it wasn't true, and if it was, it was accurate. Nobody but Serena would know for sure, if she even did.

"What's next?" Harry asked stretching backwards in his seat.

"Magical creatures." Hermione responded as Ron looked over their schedules. "Then you and Serena have defense against dark arts and Ron and I have herbology."

"How do you know Serena's schedule?" Harry wondered, Ron too was looking at her skeptically.

"Well, not only is it logical, but I have all of our schedules memorized. After class there will be a break before dinner, we could do so then, or during dinner, either way."

"How about after dinner, that way we get a break, and have dinner in our bellies before studying."

"Oh come on Ron, you know you'll just want to sleep after that." Serena rested a forearm on his shoulder and looked down at him.

Ron laughed looking up at her. "Yeah, probably, but anything to do with studying isn't my favorite. So anyway I can get out of it, I'd love the opportunity. Not that you're any different." He accused and she blushed as the comment hit home.

"Finally come back to talk to the rest of us?" Harry raised a black eyebrow, her behavior had confused him.

"Well, we do all have class together, don't we?" She lifted her own blond brow, obviously she was better at keeping track of her day than he was. "I thought we'd all just walk together."

Hermione looked between them, seeing that they were challenging each other, even if they might not be aware of it themselves. She was burning to know what had happened earlier in the day, especially when Harry said what he'd just did. "Of course." She smiled up at Serena. "Wouldn't want it any other way, we always do."

Hermione stood up and snagged her arm through Serena's, her attitude was infectious, and the fact that physical contact wasn't an issue for Serena for the least, also rubbed off. The two of them took off towards the class outside. Harry and Ron slowly followed after, looking confused at the two girls up-ahead who were talking with their heads together, and giggling. Serena glanced back at the two boys and grinned before going back to Hermione and nodding.

"Girls." Ron sighed.

Harry smirked. "Yeah, but you like one of those girls, so don't even try to deny it."

"Yeah, Serena's adorable." Ron responded.

Harry shook his head. "No, not that girl."

"Who? Lavender?" Ron shuddered. "She's not even Gryffindor."

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored him and dropped the conversation, Ron wasn't even prepared yet for admitting it to himself, didn't know what it was, just annoyance at her. That might change, it might not, Harry couldn't push him until he started thinking differently. Then he'd tease Ron into submission. Harry's face cracked a grin as he thought about it, oh the horrors Ron would go through!

It was only as they were listening to Professor Kettleburn, that Harry realized exactly what Serena had just managed to do, she had kept the others from knowing anything was wrong, and still managed to avoid him, so she didn't have to answer his questions. She was between Hermione and Ron and was on her knees playing with the little fuzzy creature that they were learning with. This creature was not any normal looking animal, for one thing it was pink, purple or some other form of vibrant unnatural color, for another it was almost square shaped and hand beady black eyes on the front of its body over very sharp looking teeth. Harry had gotten shredded fingers and hands from trying to copy Serena's lead and what Kettleburn had explained to them about the creatures.

Kettleburn had watched in amazement as Serena had knelt, ignoring the instructions and cooed at the creature and held out her fingers. "Miss Riddle, please-" He was about to warn her, they needed to wear thick leather gloves, they were very temperamental and attacked quickly. Her slim bare fingers started tickling the belly of the pink creature. The creature squawked and rolled over onto it's back and kicked its tentacle for hands and legs around. Serena giggled and she played with it. The rest of the class tried to follow her lead, and the professor turned to them. "No!" He winced as screams and groans of pain echoed around the members sitting outside with the creatures.

Serena glanced up at them with a frown, forgetting momentarily that she was playing with the fuzzy creature, and Harry watched as it bounced into her lap and snuggled in there. Kettleburn shook his head, and wiped at his brow. One boy had to go to the nurse.

"Remember, students, gloves. I'll be back with ointment for your wounds. Miss Riddle, you're in charge, and 50 points for Gryffindor for her bravery and unprecedented skill."

Serena sat back and looked at what everyone was trying to accomplish. She spoke to the creature in her lap and it moved off to the other ones and they interacted while she moved to the other end of the room and approached the one that was particularly nasty, and had sent the boy to the infirmary. Harry wanted to dissuade her, but the creature responded almost as instantly as the one she had previously been playing with. It too moved around the other half of the group, communicating with the rest of the creatures, the students had backed away when it came near, but it left them alone and soon all of them were allowing the gloved hands to pet them and soak up the attention.

Serena sat in front of Ron and took his hand in hers. She ran her fingers lightly down the cuts and looked to see how bad they were before moving onto Hermione. The two chatted together as Ron and Harry looked at each other with confusion. Eventually Serena moved to Harry. "Let me see your hands, they look worse from the distance than Ron's."

Harry let her look over them and he took a moment to look around, to make sure nobody else was listening, Malfoy was glaring at them, but other than that, nobody was paying attention, their focus solely on the creatures they were playing with, so he felt confident enough to ask, Malfoy wasn't in hearing distance if he kept his voice soft. "You said you grew up with muggles."

"You could say that." She agreed, her fingers were soft against his flesh.

"Say that?" He asked but she wouldn't clarify, and so he moved on. "What were you talking about when you said we both could use more friends?"

Serena sighed and looked up at him, forgetting that his second hand was still in hers. "I moved recently and I don't really have a lot of friends there or here even, just you three, and the occasional person who will talk to me and Malfoy and his goons." Harry's face cracked into a smile, she called them goons too. "The rest seem scared of me, a little less so each day, I feel like they're waiting for me to blow up the school or start a fire or something." Harry nodded, waiting for her to continue as she looked back down at his hand and continued running her fingers over it. "You seem like you're lonely, not so much since you've gotten to Hogwarts, but occasionally I will see a look cross your features. I know you're not used to so many people liking you, knowing who you are, having friends."

"How do you know that?" He was still pleased that she wasn't completely tricked by Malfoy's rare kindness to her, it was so out of place, for so many reasons and that she didn't like his lackeys. Serena shrugged and he had a feeling she wouldn't answer that either. "Were they your parents? These muggles?" Maybe he was right, after all, it could explain why she thought he should know that she was muggle-born.

Serena shrugged. "I don't know who my parents really were, I've always known that I was adopted though, my parents kept my original name, they didn't want to keep any secrets. They're more parents than anyone could have. I've never wanted for anything that they could give me, whether its love or presents. I just never asked for much." What she wanted, they couldn't give her, anyways.

Harry let it go, he didn't want to push for information, especially if she didn't know the answers herself, and after dinner and some studying in the common room, the four of themselves enjoying the others company and Ron and Serena playing wizard chess, with Harry filling in on occasion to face Ron, the winner of every game, no matter who faced him, they all headed off to bed. None of the three who were scratched up felt any pain or irritation of their skin, though Seamus had complained about it as Ron and Harry changed clothes. The next morning three of the students that had been scratched up, had nothing to show for it, not even a single scratch or redness. The others were still healing. The three had looked at each other the next morning before Serena woke up, each wondering, and wanted to ask what was all on their minds, but not daring- had Serena healed them?


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

* * *

Life was pretty uneventful for a few weeks, Snape still gave Harry a hard time, blatantly ignored Serena, except when she answered a question correctly, but without raising her hand or being called on, he didn't punish _her _for that, in fact he awarded her house points, which he'd abruptly abduct when Hermione tried the same thing, or when Harry or Ron couldn't answer a question correctly. If she answered incorrectly, he just continued ignoring her.

Harry didn't understand that logic, but he didn't push it, after all, Snape was a weird one. Ron used his elbow to nudge Harry in the ribs when Serena turned to discuss a potion with Malfoy, who'd taken to sitting behind her, because the places next to her were always taken up by a housemate. "When does one of us talk to Malfoy?" Ron was looking at the too pale boy with dislike obvious in his eyes.

"Since she didn't want to answer one of my questions awhile back, I don't know if they're friends or just talk on occasion." Harry responded, ignoring the two blonds to his right, Malfoy braved his hatred of Harry to talk to Serena, but not get too close.

"I don't like it." He responded with his face twisting up in disgust.

"No one does, now pay attention before you blow something up, _again_." Hermione grumbled from the other side of Serena and looked down two spots to give Ron the stink eye.

Ron grumbled and glanced back at his book on his lap again, they were supposed to have these things memorized. "She's not getting in trouble for chatting about this." He muttered to himself.

"She's not asking about the ingredients or anything, she's asking what it's supposed to do." Hermione hissed. "Now stop talking unless you want to get found out!"

Snape was harassing another student and so wasn't really listening to them. But he did glance at them on occasion. He frowned at Serena, but it wasn't anything unusual. Then his black eyes burned into Harry. "Potter!" He snapped and Harry jerked forward in surprise. "What useful ingredients would be in the creation of fogbog?"

"Dry ice and eye of salamander?"

"Very funny Potter, you have just cost your house 10 points."

"Pixie dust, galagus water, hair of centaur and wood off a bog tree." Serena answered, still not looking forward.

Snape's frown deepened. "20 points for Gryffindor."

"Perhaps we should just tell her all the answers to his questions and get points?" Ron suggested.

Serena laughed and turned around enough to slap Ron's shoulder, reaching behind Harry's back to do so. "That would be cheating."

"And Snape's favoritism towards you isn't?"

Serena's eyebrows knitted together. "I don't know what that is about, but I didn't have anything to do with it, whatever Snape's motives, they're his own. For one thing is sure though, he far from likes me."

Nobody could argue with that.

Between classes, Harry saw Snape and Quirrell arguing about something and Snapes black eyes turned to him, he groaned and rubbed at his forehead. Snape's gaze turned to Quirrell. Harry took off down the hall after Ron. The two of them were going to go talk to Hagrid, they had heard about Grimmwald's bank and how it had been broken into the day that Harry and he had gone to get money and a package for Dumbledor, they wanted to know what it was and why someone would be after the thing Hagrid had gotten, as it was his vault broken into, conveniently emptied earlier in the day.

Things seemed to be rolling now, and Harry, Ron and Hermione kept getting into trouble. First it was grabbing Neville's remball from the air when Malfoy tossed it, and instead of getting in trouble, Harry got put into seeker position. Second it was being out on the grounds with Hagrid when they weren't supposed to be, and sentenced to detention in the forest with Hagrid, instead of being hung by their thumbs in the basement of Hogwarts. Then it was the three running into 'Fluffy' which they later learned was Hagrid's pet, and they managed to run before it could get them or they could get into trouble with the house itself. Hermione didn't want to go along with a lot of these plots, and Serena was magically missing during their planning stages for most of these events.

Then it was Halloween. Serena was looking at Harry with something akin to horror. "What's the matter?" He asked, wanting to know why she was looking at him like that.

"You were attacked in the woods!" She gaped, this was the first she'd heard of it. "What happened?"

It had been a couple of days, and he had forgotten to tell her about it. "Oh, um... Ron tell you?" The red-head couldn't keep his mouth shut when it came to Serena and she shook her head, her eyes going to Hermione. "Oh, well, we were in the woods, doing our detention, Ron and Hagrid went one way, Malfoy, Fang and I went another. I don't know, it was some creature/man thing that was feeding off of a unicorn. It looked up at me and I fainted, it wasn't much. Malfoy and Fang though, they ran, couldn't even bother to stay and help."

Serena's lips pursed, she saw it as a cheap attempt to lessen her opinion on Malfoy, and it was. "You say it was feeding off a unicorn?" She mused. "Poor creature, before this, I didn't even know they existed outside of fairytales."

"Serena, before this, _everything _we know existed outside of fairytales." He was teasing her and she grinned back at him, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Touche. Are you all right, though?" She was really concerned, he saw that.

He ruffled her hair in return. "Of course, nothing can keep me down."

Serena chuckled softly and returned to the feast laid out for them. "Keep it that way." The meal continued with everyone making jokes and in general just having a very good time. Part way through, Hermione pushed away the table and ran out of the room. "Ron!" Serena yelled down the table towards the four siblings. Hermione had been sitting near them with her own group of girlfriends, Harry and Serena had sat down farther with Neville and some other people in the house they were friends with, wanting to spend some time with them too. Plus, Serena really wanted to know what had happened to Harry, and wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth itself. Now she wished she was over there to keep Ron in line.

He waved sheepishly at her. "I might have said something mean..." He admitted. Serena groaned, she'd have to deal with him later, and reassure Hermione too. It was just more work for her.

It was near the end of dinner that the doors to the great hall burst open with a bang. "T-t-t-t-roll! T-t-t-there's a t-t-troll in Hogwarts!" Quirrell shouted into the room. He moaned while he swayed before he fainted.

There was silence as everyone soaked in that information and then the room was deafening with the noise of everyone trying to talk over each other. McGonagall's voice boomed over the room as she held her wand against her neck so her voice would be projected. "Prefects, take your houses directly upstairs and wait in the common rooms until your house-professor can join you."

Harry saw Snape disappear in the chaos and he grabbed Ron's arm. "Where is he going?"

They both watched as Serena got pulled along in the shuffle, Ron's twin brother, George had thrown her over his shoulder and she was looking back at them as they broke off from the crowd, she was trying to argue with Fred who was following behind them. "Harry!" She yelled and he knew she was angry to leave her out of it again, and to make her fret about him getting hurt, _again_.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked one of the girls who'd seen her leave.

"She said something about going to the bathroom-"

Harry and Ron ran after her, trying to warn her and get her to safety, she was completely unaware of the dangers. They found the first female bathroom they could find and barged in. She wasn't there, and they continued onto the other closest one. Hermione was in one of the stalls and there just beyond the door was the nastiest sight either boy had ever seen. He was big, ugly and hairy. Hermione screamed as the troll swung his club at the stall and it splintered above her and rained shards down at her.

Ron and Harry yelled out different things they could use or thought they could use on the Troll from their short amount of time here. They missed the troll or just served to annoy him and he knocked Ron into the sinks as he swung his club down around it. Harry knew he had nothing else up his sleeve at the moment and jumped the troll. Somehow his wand got stuck into the troll's nose, and the troll moved around the small space trying to get it out, and get Harry off his back. "Levios!" Ron yelled, coming back to his senses.

"It's leviosa!" Hermione yelled from where she was still hiding, annoyed that he still couldn't get it right, especially when it was so important.

"Shut up! I know how to say it!" Ron yelled back and the troll got in a lucky swing at the sinks, breaking the one right next to Ron. "Leviousa! Leviosa!" The club floated above the troll's head just as he'd shucked Harry off and fell, knocking the troll out.

Ron hurried to Hermione's side as Harry bent to retrieve his wand, he pulled it out with a "yuck!" As green slime came out with it. Harry rubbed it off on his robe as three more people came running in, barely fitting through the door as they all tried to squeeze through at the same time. It was the professors with their wands out at the ready.

McGonagall took in the sight first and lowered her wand. "Potter! Weasley! Granger!" She shouted each of their names separately. "I demand to know what happened, right this instant!"

Harry opened his mouth to explain, knowing they were all in trouble, but his sight caught the out of breath professor of Syltherin, and his calf which had three red marks along it. He shifted his robes so it was hidden from view and raised a black eyebrow at the boy.

"It was my fault!" Hermione shot forward, ignoring Ron's hands in her hair, trying to pull out the wood chips. "I heard about the troll and wanted to go after it, I thought I could handle it. They were only trying to stop me, they managed to take care of the troll though."

"I can see that. It was very foolish of you Miss Granger, as it was for you two to go after her, the correct protocol would have been to inform us. 100 points from Gryffindor for your foolishness Granger, and... 100 points each for the boys in being so brave and caring about their friend to try and protect her." McGongall shooed them out of the bathroom and ignored Snape's argument about letting them off so easy and they headed for the common room.

"Why'd you cover for us?"

"If it wasn't for me, nobody would have been in there, so thank you." Plus, she didn't want the teachers to know she was in there crying because something Ron had said had upset her.

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have run off to the bathroom in the first place. I'm sorry Hermione, can we try to be friends?" He looked hopeful, and apologetic, it was an odd mixture on his pale face and Hermione giggled.

"Sure Ron, I would like that. Thank you Harry." She glanced over at the green-eyed boy.

"No problem, I'm just glad that nobody got hurt this time." Harry told the password to the fat lady and the door swung open.

"Ooh, Serena's going to be pissed." Ron stated as he worked some of the plaster out of Hermione's hair some more as they headed into the house quarters. Sure enough, his prediction was correct as Serena was standing by the fireplace with her arms crossed, glaring over at the entrance as Ron's twin brothers tried to reassure her that they'd be fine. "I see neither of you are worried yourselves." Ron mucked as they stepped in.

"See, told you Sere, they're just fine, and a pain in the butt as usual." Fred, or was it George, reassured.

"I still don't get why you had to toss me over your shoulder like a cave man while letting those two wander around free."

"Ah, jeez Serena, it's just because you're so small, we didn't want you to get lost in the crowd, you'd have been easily separated and trampled. We have to watched out for you." One of the boys tugged on her hair and she swatted his hand away.

"Enough Fred! You two are dismissed, I'm not going to run off now that they're back." The whole common room was filled with their housemates of every year, Harry wasn't sure he'd ever seen all of them before. They were all watching them as they walked further into the room.

"Don't be like that, besides, we don't really have anywhere else to go. Percy says we have to wait here until the threat is taken care of and McGonagall comes to talk to us." George replied, leaning now against the wall, perhaps they really were playing guard. Harry began to wonder at their motives, to keep her safe or to keep her from interfering?

The room erupted into applause as the three 1st years entered the room, they looked fairly beat up, and Hermione looked testimony to the trials they went through, so if they were back safe, then obviously the trouble was taken care of.

"We have another 100 points?" Ron tossed out there, not used to being center of attention, hell none of them were, and the room broke into more cheer.

Serena pushed away to go yell at the three in more close quarters but Fred caught her around the waist and returned her to her spot. "Come on, they're unharmed, only flesh wounds and we now have the lead, no doubt, towards the house cup."

"Yeah, today, tomorrow I just bet you they'll do something to screw it up and we'll be last again, and now Snape's going to be upset that their stupidity got them awarded." She argued.

McGongall came in and cut off their discussion, Harry barely heard most of it above the rest of the talking going on, but he knew Serena was mad at him and the other two. Probably not the mood he wanted _her_ to be in, he was sure.

McGonagall explained the situation to everyone and ordered them all off to bed, they needed to unwind and settle down, they still had class the next day. "Talk about would-be cool hoax if it wasn't real." Ron shook his head as they dressed for bed, later on. Harry and Ron had gotten away before Serena could question them more on what happened.

"Yeah, but did you see Snape's leg? I think he went to fluffy to try and break into the door beneath it."

"Why would he go, when he was one of the ones to put a block on the stone?" Ron asked with a yawn. "I mean, I don't trust the guy at all, but it doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense, cause a commotion, and then try to break into the stone for himself, he'd have one easily figured out."

"But... he's a professor... Dumbledor trusts him..."

"Then he's got his trust in the wrong place." Harry was trying to argue his point, but he was slowly loosing Ron to sleep once all the adrenaline had worn off. Harry lay back in bed and was trying to think through two different situations and their scenarios, but neither one of them seemed to pan out in the way he was thinking, because he didn't have all the information. He fell asleep frustrated.

Serena had sat away from him through most of their classes until herbology where he plunked himself down right next to her and grabbed her books when she made to move. "Come on Harry, give them back." She was annoyed still, and it was clear in her voice.

"No, you're going to talk to me, you were ready to scream at me last night, so why start avoiding me again?"

"Because, you're trouble." She rubbed her forehead, she had gotten mail this morning and he began to wonder what it was.

"Am not."

"You've gotten into problems more time in the last few months than I can count." She countered, clearly not amused.

"I'm sorry, I was looking out for my friend last night." He argued.

"No, that was an after thought, you were more worried about Snape and proving to the school you could handle a troll."

"That's not true, I was going to see what Snape was up to, yes, to keep him away from something powerful and what Voldermort wants-" She didn't shiver or flinch at the use of his name. Harry filed that away as he continued. "But my friendship with Hermione won out, it was more important to see her safe than to go after Snape."

"You couldn't do anything to him anyways, he's got years of experience on you." Serena threw herself back in her chair and crossed her arms, looking at him, to try and deny it.

"You're probably right." He slowly admitted.

"And if we're on the case of people with more experience than you, you should just stay away from anything dangerous or having to deal with Voldermort as well. He is the strongest wizard to have every graced the planet, and the only one he was ever scared of was Dumbledor, you have no way to defeat him, you'd only end up getting yourself killed."

"Now you think that there's a connection between him and the happenings going on around here?" He asked in disbelief, what was she holding back?

"Well yeah, I would have believed it a lot sooner if you had let me in on all of your discoveries, instead I'm just as clueless as the rest of the students here."

"I was just trying to protect my friends." Harry responded, causing her to get angrier than she had been before.

"'Cause you're such an expert on them." Serena steamed. Harry sat straighter, upset by the way this conversation was going. "You don't have anything to base these ideas of friendships on, you could be going about it all wrong, at least as far as keeping me in the dark you are, I guess I'm not as important or close to you as the other two. I've only seen you alone until Hogwarts, except when that big cousin of yours and his friends try to mess with you. So tell me, Harry, where does it show me that you know how to protect friends, when you've never had them before?"

Harry just sat there, staring at Serena, even when the professor started to talk and explain their next assignment, he wasn't sure what to make of her comment, what did she know of Dudley? How did she know it? Why would she suddenly bring it all up now and throw it into his face? He was burning to ask her, and she sat there, staring at him too, before realization of what she said slowly took hold of her face and she was again looking at him in horror, but of her own words, she felt terrible, he could see it plainly, all her emotions were always written across her face. It might be a hindrance if she ever had to go to battle, but it made her trustworthy as a friend, at least until she'd dropped that bomb on him.

They were working on some other plant that shrieked but so much louder and harmful than the previous one and they had to wear protective ear coverings. Serena seemed too emotionally unbalanced to work with the plants, she pulled it out and it shrieked before she dunked it back in, as nicely as she could, but still following procedure. Wails just littered the room, all except for Neville who was handling it well. A girl groaned and covered her ears, her deafeners had fallen off and the professor called a halt to all re-potting. Blood was seeping down one side of her face and he carted her out of the room, calling out to them that class was now dismissed, he had to oversee them to make sure it wasn't repeated with another student.

Before Serena could bolt again like she had several months ago, he caught her arm and pulled her along to the outside corridor, at this time of the day, it should be empty and he sat in one of the open arches. She sat across from him, knowing she wasn't going to get away with this again. "Explain that comment, please."

"I'm sorry Harry, it was harsh, and I don't actually know if its true outside of what I'd seen."

"No it was, which is why I love being here, fraught danger and all that." He made her laugh, which was his intention. "Now please, I don't understand."

"I told you right, that I don't have very many friends?" He nodded. "Well that isn't a new occurrence for me, especially not here. My parents move around a lot, and people look at me strangely everywhere we go."

"They're not used to seeing a lightly tanned natural blond girl." Harry clarified.

"Yeah, well, just before I got my letter for Hogwarts, we'd just moved from inner-city London to Piviet drive number 9."

Harry's eyes took in her features, trying to match them to the couple he had seen move in, the rather young couple, for having a 14 year old daughter. "You're adoptive parents?"

Serena nodded. "I kept my last name, they took me in when I was three months old and didn't change it, they probably figured it was easier to explain the last name than the other questions I would start to ask once I got old enough and other kids started making fun of me. I could at least respond with that I was adopted and I was loved enough that two sets of parents wanted me."

"What do you mean, it was easier to explain the name?"

"Other things would start to make me wonder once I got old enough to question the world around me and learn the norm. It's not normal to be living with three women, and think of each as their parent. Also that I didn't look like any of them, really."

"Three?" Harry frowned, thinking back, where had he lost count of the members of the new house? Not only hadn't he seen any children, but he'd only seen the one woman and the man when his uncle sat there arguing with him. Where did the other two women come in? "The green-tinted haired woman-"

"Susanna." Serena nodded, waiting for him to continue, she'd let him figure out all he could first.

"Then that man, short blond hair, blue eyes and looked like he could throw a mean punch."

"Harley." Serena smiled, remembering her father figure with fondness. "Yes, she sure does look mean, but she's the biggest softie, I always go to her when I want something the other two won't let me have."

"She?" Harry was floored, he really couldn't picture it like that and Serena nodded happily. "Who's the third woman?"

"Oh, Michi, well, her name is Michell, but she's the kindest woman you'd ever meet, and she's so graceful and talented. She and Harley are actually together and Susanna just lives with us, more as an aunt type figure than anything else, but she still orders me around and the other two when they get out of line, like she's all of our mothers." Her face became less happy at the mention of Susanna. "She's always got this knowing look on her face, and is always telling me things are not appropriate or recommendable but the letter from Hogwarts sure wiped that look from her face. She couldn't understand it at first, and then she finally caved in when they kept coming. That's what all the racket was all about the other night, Michi and I were arguing to let me go, Harley and Susanna didn't want to let me part."

"Why hadn't I seen you or Michell the entire time you were living there?"

Serena shrugged. "I had summer classes and we had to prepare for this and move in and I don't know, like I said, no friends."

Harry felt like there was something missing in her explanation, but he didn't press her on it. "So people teased you for having a different name than your parents?'

"Yes, but they soon got over it as they got older, and they could stop proving to the office that they had legal guardianship over me, because I was getting old enough to take care of myself."

"Why haven't you told me that you lived near by?"

"I thought you knew." Serena shrugged again. "I didn't think I was that hard to miss, I'd see you every once in awhile through my window, tugging at weeds or looking at my room."

"You're the dancer!" He suddenly shouted and Serena nearly lost her seat as she fell backwards in surprise, but managed to catch herself. She reluctantly nodded, she'd learned it from Michell, but she had a passion for it, albeit in her own room, where nobody could see her, whereas Michell was more interested in the violin and swimming and Harley liked the piano and racing. Her family was a little high society, which is another reason she liked to keep a low profile, but here, she was anything but. She thought at first they had known who she was in the muggle world, but none of the full-bloods even knew what a car was, much less celebrities. Those from the muggle world, didn't put her with it, and they were more concerned about other matters dealing with her.

A few had found out, and were friends with her, ignoring her other status here, they still had a lot of ties to their birthland, and the news they could keep up with both. Though Serena knew, if push came to shove, they'd be gone in an instant. Bizarre as it was, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Malfoy were her only true friends here and she couldn't claim much from Malfoy, she knew his faults.

Serena's face scrunched up. "You actually watch me doing that?" She'd seen him look at her window on occasion, but she didn't realized he actually watched her.

"Once or twice, it's actually just kind of relaxing, you're very talented at least what I can see, it's just shadows and light moving."

Serena couldn't help the blush. "Thank you. Now, about you, why are you living with such a brutish family?"

"I don't have anyone else." Harry explained, he didn't go into specifics or why his family was dead, just that they were, and nobody else could claim him. He didn't know that Dumbledor had placed him with them, erroneously thinking family was better than any other alternative and with Dumbledor's history on orphaned children, he might have been right. "So... are you a muggle-born witch or what?"

"I think I'm a full blood." She admitted. "My parents told me that they found me one night abandoned when I was barely three months old, but I was some place safe still." Serena shook her head. "Apparently there was magic around me."

"Your parents knew that?" Harry wondered out loud, his aunt and uncle only knew because Petunia's sister, his mother, was a witch.

Serena tried to hide her smile and shrugged. "Of course, they're very talented people." For every truth she'd tell him, he knew she was holding back another, if not five.

"Come on, we should go grab a spot before Ron beats us there." Harry stood up and held out his hand to help her off her seat, she took it and gracefully landed on her feet. He wanted to ask her why sometimes she was so graceful and floated around, and others she was falling down, and running into things, but he tactfully refrained, not bringing that to her attention, he didn't like his scar brought to attention all the time, and that was plain as day, just as her skill to walk.

Between Halloween and Christmas break, the trio, without Serena on most occasions, continued to investigate the philosopher's stone, Voldermort, and anything pertaining to the mysteries beneath the giant three headed dog with vicious teeth. They didn't get into much trouble in the meantime, Serena alone seemed to be keeping them afloat with points, but teens were teens and they got up to things and got points deducted. Serena had even suffered a points reduction all on her own, she'd been out in the woods, which in itself was against rules without proper supervision, and it was after hours. She'd gotten caught on her way back in and suffered the consequences. She wouldn't tell anyone what she was doing out there and after serving her detention, nobody brought it up again.

Sometimes she would break off and disappear during breaks in the day, and then reappear right before class or after it started. Ron questioned her on it and she laughed him off, saying it was nothing, she was just studying or something. Harry watched her go into Hagrid's house one time and another he saw her walking with Fang around the grounds or sitting in the pumpkin patch with him, and that was during the day time. But it was only on occasion, the rest of the time, she was right there with them.

It was during a Quidditch match that something started going odd again. It was Gryffindor verses Slytherin, and had Harry spotted the snitch but his nimbus 2000 started acting up, it had been a gift, and it had never misbehaved before.

It dove towards the ground and at the speed it was going, if he crashed into it, he'd be splattered all over the ground. It surged up as he pulled and then tumbled sideways, he fought to control it and he managed to keep it just off the ground but his knuckles skimmed the grass. He jerked it up and he spun upwards a lot higher than he'd ever attempted to go before, it pulled to the side trying to shake him off. He felt queasy as he fought to regain it.

The rest of the students watched on in horror. All except a blond, a curly brunette, and a redhead. They were instead looking around and caught sight of Snape silently mouthing words and his eyes locked on Harry. "Come on." Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and Serena followed after. "I have an idea." Serena stopped as Hermione and Ron entered the Professors area, she turned and leaned against the railing, just above the announcers and tried to get as close to the action as possible, her eyes not leaving Harry, silently begging for his safety. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw flame ignite and catch onto Snape's robes, a smile quirked at her lips as he tried to stomp it out, he must be furious about all the damage to his clothing, and why he was always at the other end of jokes and pranks. Professor Quirrell snapped his attention to the dark man and Serena watched as Harry managed to righten his broom and catch the snitch all in one go, the wings sticking out between his fingers. Serena puffed out a breath of relief as he slowly lowered himself to the ground and got off his broom, holding it in one hand and the snitch in the other.

Serena hurried to join the Gryffindor house out by the locker rooms, but they got shooed away, the team would be up in the commons soon enough, they could congratulate people then. Serena caught up to Ron and Hermione who were still praising each other for a job well done and that Harry was now safe.

Serena tossed her arms around Hermione's shoulders, such a smart girl, and so brave too! Serena had no doubt that it was Hermione that had caused the fire, though it might have been Ron's idea to use something so seemingly innocent. If they hadn't succeeded, she would have had to interfere.

Ron crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh sure, just leave me out, because you think I'm not capable of coming up with something like that."

"Oh come here, you!" Serena tossed her arms around him too and he hugged her back. Hermione now was feeling a little left out so joined in on the celebratory cheer by throwing her arms around both of them. "Now all we need to do is explain it all to Harry."

"Oh, he'd just love to know Snape had it out for him." Ron muttered. "I can't believe he'd try to kill him though-"

"We never know-" Serena spoke, for some reason she just couldn't trust that, not when the weird stuttering man was looking their way and glaring. The other two were looking the wrong way, and so did not see it themselves.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

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AN: Thanks everyone who has reviewed up to this point. I have decided how this is going to go. I'm breaking it down by 'chapter' which is actually a 'book' and there are 'parts' in it, which are actually 'chapters' in the normal sense but I didn't feel like going back in and editing the previous chapters just to just change the word to chapter instead of part and part/book for chapter. SO how this is going to go is: Chapter 1 is year 1 and each part is related to that year. Chapter 2 is year 2. Chapter 3 is year 3... and Chapter 4 and all of its parts are going to be the end. Since they're starting at 14, they're ending at 18 and it actually seemed to work out well for the way I've broken this story down into my head. Chapter 1 is going to continue following book 1 of the series, just with my own twist. Chapter 2 is as well (book 2). Chapter 3 is going to be close to book 3 and 4, maybe just a few slight changes... I'm adding a character, by the way, you'll meet/hear about it well into the future, but I am just warning you. Chapter 4... is actually closer to book 5, 6 and 7, I _think_.. lol... maybe chapter 2 is book 2 and 3? Hmm... we'll see how it goes, huh? Please, continue reviewing, I love it. And this will probably my only story in the SM/HP crossover, there's only so much you can do during their school years, and unless you want to venture into the world after Hogwarts or before, there's only so much that can be done, if you want to stick somewhat close to canon and not create your own world for HP...

AN2: On a side note, I was researching for something on this topic, and a lot of the pictures I found, had DR looking down EW's shirt...

AN3: I'm a little disappointed I only got 1 review for the last installment, I have actually been putting time and effort into this story, it's a little devastating that people don't want to confirm that I should write more, what I should have more or less of and give me any kind of feedback or knowledge that they're actually out there reading this. Maybe I should just stop where I've gotten to and leave it there... And by the way my previous chapter was 5919 words, this one is 6929, I try hard to get you quality and full chapters.

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It was a sad day when Harry and Ron stood by the doors of the school, Serena and Hermione were leaving for winter break while the two boys were staying, along with all the Weasley children at Hogwarts. Ron's parents were going to visit Ron's eldest brother in Norway. Harry would rather pour acid in his eyes than go home to the Dursleys. Serena wanted to go home, she was missing her parents, they were very close, and what she didn't tell them, was that she needed their advice. She hugged the boys and waited for Hermione to do the same.

"I didn't even know I _could_ stay." Hermione complained. "Don't get into any trouble while I'm away!"

"Don't worry Hermione, nothing will happen. Go enjoy your family. You're break will probably be more eventful than ours."

Serena hesitated, she too wanted to stay here, but she also wanted to go home, the first year was always the hardest away from family and the 'normal' world, if you were muggle born, she wasn't, but she still missed the things she knew, while not true anymore, a lot of them still held true to her. "I'll miss you guys, don't let each other eat too much chocolate." They all smiled at each other and the two girls hugged the tow boys one last time before they waved goodbye and they left together for the way back to the train.

Harry and Ron rushed up the stairs to watch the girls get on the boats heading back towards the train station and when they looked up, moving out of sight and into the fog, the boys waved and they returned the gesture, then they were swallowed up and disappeared.

"So..." Ron started, now that they were alone and school was out of session, with only the skeleton staff and students remaining. "What do you want to do?"

They shared a look and the grins that split both their faces had them in agreement and they ran through the halls.

It was only after Christmas and they had received all of their presents. Harry had gotten a package from the Durselys, a required gift, and when he opened it, it was only a pair of old socks from Dudley and for the first time, he realized that Serena would be returning to his street and maybe interacting with Dudley, he wished her luck and hoped that the fat boy didn't harass her or hit on her. Harry shuddered at the thought, Serena and his cousin? Ew. Then again, she had her pick of boys here, once they'd gotten over the fact she may or may not be the dark lord's daughter, they had acted on their instincts, and truth be told, she was pretty, and her hair was the most exotic color and she always had it up in the most interesting style, she really did stick out in a crowd.

Ron's mother made Harry a blue knit sweater while Ron got a red one that classed horribly with his hair, but while neither boy cared about that, Ron was just more annoyed that his mother continued giving him a color he detested. The first letter of each of their names was stitched into the front. Fred and George came thudding down to the common room, one was green and the other was purple, and Harry raised an eyebrow. "Forge and Gred?" He had thought, with Serena's help, that he had gotten them straight, for the most part, but if that was the case, then he had them backwards.

They grinned and nodded and continued out of the house after ruffling Ron's hair, they were allowed into the city since they were old enough. "They do this every year." Ron complained, sitting down next to Harry, so they could continue opening their gifts. Ron got a few treats and more clothes, but not much else. Harry didn't fare any better, he was only gifted a wooden flute by Hagrid and a cloak. _This was entrusted in my hands by your father, I believe it's time it returned to its rightful owner._ It didn't have a name attached to it, it was just scrawled in very flowing handwriting. They both put on the sweaters, Harry was glad to get a gift for a change, and Ron did it out of family responsibility, though he'd prefer to burn it.

A few minutes later, after sating themselves with chocolate, Ron had gone to use the rest room and the window was open in a spot that Harry couldn't reach, so he threw the cloak over himself, it was a little chilly and he looked through a few of the presents, trying to figure out why he'd gotten them. Ron returned to the room and looked around. "Harry, where'd you go?" He called out to the room and Harry frowned.

"Right here." He responded and Ron jumped, and his head whipped in all directions as his eyes tried to take in his sight.

"Stop that, whatever you're doing, it's not funny!" Ron glared, but he wasn't looking anywhere near Harry. "Come out right now."

Harry rolled his eyes and lowered the hood. "What are you playing at?" Harry asked annoyed and Ron's eyes bugged.

"You're a floating head!" He gasped and Harry looked down at himself, sure enough, he couldn't see his body. He quickly shucked the cloak off with a yell, trying to see if his body was slowly dissolving into nothing and if he'd eaten something weird. As soon as the material left him, his body returned.

Ron grabbed it up. "You know what this is?" He threw it around himself and Harry watched him disappear this time. "This is awesome!" Ron's voice came out of the spot that he was last seen before the cloak came off and he handed it back to Harry. "It's an invisibility cloak!"

Harry's dark brows came together as he tried to reason that out. "There's a lot of them?"

"No, I've only heard of them, never saw them myself before. Be careful with it, it's awesome, who sent it to you?" Ron grabbed at the note, and read it and then frowned himself. "It doesn't say, but Harry, this is so cool!"

Harry laughed and folded it up. "Yes it is. But if Hermione found out about this-"

"She'd say you can't use it, that's its too great a magic for someone so young." Ron intoned dryly.

Harry shook his head. "She's say use it wisely, it's a large responsibility, and to not let anyone know about it."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Ron sighed and sank down onto the couch, handing Harry a box of flavored bots.

Harry took one and they spent the next hour playing cracking cards until Neville came in and made it a larger game, more students started trickling in and they continued adding members to the game.

It was a couple of nights later that found Harry wandering the corridors on his own, he had a vague notion of looking in the library at the forbidden books but he'd wandered without thinking about where he was going and he found himself in an empty room. He was about to leave, had a golden glint caught his attention. He wandered over to it, and out in the open sat an ancient looking mirror. He looked closely at the reflectant surface, seeing himself standing there in his blue 'H' sweater and black pants, perpetually broken glasses over green eyes and untamable messy black hair which fell between the frames and lashes. He reached up and pushed them back and encountered the soft fabric of the cloak instead.

He frowned and his reflection did too. Maybe it could just show who was looking at it in their real form, his glasses hadn't broken yet since Hermione fixed them, again, just before break, didn't mean that they would remain that way until she got back. He was about to leave when the image changed around him and on each of his shoulders a hand rested. He looked up into the faces of people he did not recognize, at least, not have remembered seeing them before. But even that was wrong, he had seen them, he'd seen them in himself, those green eyes, from the woman with red hair on his right, and the man's messy black hair and slightly tanned skin tone on his left. His face had features that lent themselves into Harry's own face. Harry's eyes raked the two and behind them, more people started appearing, people he knew he never saw before, but he knew they were family members, going as far back as he could see in the mirror. He tried to talk to them, but they didn't respond. So he sat down and watched as his reflection interacted with them, took in his mother's smiling face, his father's proud look.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but eventually he yawned and caught himself falling asleep. He promised himself as he stood, he'd be back tomorrow night, and he was. Every night for the next week and it would have remained his secret, had Ron not caught him throwing the cloak on one night that he thought the redhead was sleeping. "Where do you keep going?"

"I- come on, I'll show you."

They disappeared a swish of cloak. Harry led Ron to the mirror and there they both stood looking into it. "Oh wow."

"What do you see?"

"I'm- I'm headboy!" Ron exclaimed, he was alone in his vision.

"That's it?" Harry looked deeply, he couldn't see Ron at all, just his family.

"No, it's changing, I'm the champion at the quitdditch cup!"

Harry figured it was a mirror showing him the past, and family that had died, and he didn't think Ron would see anything different. But maybe instead it was showing them what was going to happen. If that were the case, he would be joining his family soon. As far as he knew, they were all dead. They both stayed for awhile, and when he yawned, he knew they were there too long. "Come on Ron, lets go to bed, people will be heading out to Hogsmede soon for the last time, I wanted to get up early enough to ask Gred to pick something up for me."

"But I don't want to leave-" Ron complained, he was enjoying his vision too much.

"Come on knuckle-head." Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him unwilling out of the room, remembering last second that they were visible and threw the cloak over them.

They got back to the common room just in time to slip back into bed, their pajamas still on, because they'd never changed. Seamus rolled over with a groan, showing that he was about to wake up. Ron fell back asleep easily and Harry pretended, though even he was drifting in and out of consciousness as everyone around them got up. Harry pushed himself off the bed and stumbled downstairs to the commons. It was really a very small amount of people that were there and so he didn't mind in the slightest that he was without his robe.

He talked to Fred and George and they laughed and agreed to get what he wanted them to, and he gave them the coins necessary. By the time they got back, he was already sleeping, exhausted from the day before. Ron was passed out and falling off of his bed with limbs in every direction. So Fred put the package down by Harry's feet while George went to mess with Ron.

There was only a few days left before students returned and they went fast for the boys at times, and slow at others. When the girls returned to Hogwarts they were greeted with another feast and they caught up with one another. Harry told Hermione about the cloak and she devised a plan, seemed over the break she'd decided to join them. "What's the switch?" Ron asked, disappointed he wasn't right with her reaction.

"Um... nothing really. I guess I just found out my parents have been telling everyone that I'm going to Clown school and then onto Brown. Also, I figured as long as I was with you, it'd help keep you guys out of trouble. Which you didn't get involved in while I was gone, right?" She was looking at the two of them, waiting to spill the beans.

Ron and Harry exchanged glances, Serena too was watching them with a curious expression. She hadn't really said hi yet, Hermione had launched into a questioning as soon as she'd seen the cloak. In that regard, neither had she really, she just popped in and talked about what they'd been up to. Serenity smiled and waved shyly at the rest of them. They smiled in return and then broke down how their plan was going to work. Serena didn't bother to point out the very obvious piece they were missing, they didn't know when or how to get past Fluffy. "Might want to talk to Hagrid." She mentioned casually as she stood stretching. "Mind if I go unpack a little?"

"Why Hagrid?"

"Fluffy is his pet, is he not?" The others had to agree. "Then he'd know how to best calm him too, right?" She left them with that thought and exited up the stairs to the girl's hall.

"Maybe I should go join her-" Hermione thought out loud, readying to stand when Harry shook his head.

"I don't think she wants to be so embroiled into these plans. Haven't you noticed the pattern? It's always an accidental accomplice with her. Except when she wants to be included. I too am a little confused by her desires, but she chooses when she is involved and not."

Ron narrowed his eyes as he thought over what Harry had said. "I don't think so. I think she wants to be involved, but she seems pulled in two different direction..."

"Maybe she doesn't want to bother talking to Hagrid about Fluffy. Maybe she already knows something, but doesn't want to share. She does visit him, or at least, Fang often." Harry sighed. "But she's right, we need to learn all we can from Hagrid himself."

"She's good with animals, why doesn't she just come and soothe the savage beast herself?" Ron questioned. Hermione shrugged while Harry looked thoughtful, but neither of them had an answer. They were to go talk to Hagrid.

"You need to stop doing these disappearing acts." Harry complained as Serena popped up at his elbow after lunch. "Where were you anyways?"

Serena bit her bottom lip and half smiled and he knew he wouldn't get an answer, or at least a real one. "Gone to see Hagrid yet?" She asked with a lifted brow instead.

"No, we're waiting for the right time."

"Then what do you keep disappearing for at night?" She turned and walked backwards, Harry winced as she caught an edge with her heel and crashed into a suit of armor and it made a large ringing.

Harry sighed, only Ron knew about the mirror so far, and Ron had only gone once, pleased by what he saw, Harry had gone several times since the girls returned, and he didn't know how Serena knew but he might as well tell her, she'd at least not be able to claim he liked Ron or Hermione better than her again. "I'll show you, tonight."

Serena grinned and looped her arm with his. "Excellent, tonight seems like a perfect choice."

He laughed and let her lead him to Occult, Hermione hated the class and would spend every day complaining about it afterwards and how unfounded the teacher was in her 'visions'.

Their classes went pretty fast during the day and just before most of the students headed off for bed that evening, Harry leaned down and whispered in Serena's ear. "Midnight."

Serena's eyes slid towards him and nodded. She walked upstairs with Hermione and the two were talking as they did so. Ron and Harry went towards the boy's floor. "What's up between you and Serena? You guys seem to be getting closer, don't tell me you like her?" Ron wasn't accusatory, just surprised.

"No, it's not like that, she's a friend, just like you and Hermione. A good friend, just like the two of you." Harry responded slipping into bed and listened for Ron's heart and breathing to slow down, and listened for anyone still awake, but a lot of the students went to bed far earlier than ten, and woke up far earlier than he did too. At midnight he was waiting by the portrait on the inside, but still in the shadows of the dim light glowing from the candles around the room. They always burned but never melted or caught fire on anything but the wick.

He waited patiently and it was probably long after Midnight when Serena came down and started looking for him. "You're late." He whispered, nobody would hear him, but he still didn't want to take the chance, this was the first rendezvous he'd had with Serena, he didn't know how it would go, and he didn't want to get her into trouble, if he didn't have to.

"Sorry, the girls were up giggling about something over what happened today in one of their classes. They finally fell asleep." She apologized and he nodded, he took her hand and pulled her close, before throwing the cloak over them.

"It hides us, but doesn't cover up any sounds. So we have to be very quiet if anyone were to come close to us." He'd had close moments before with some of the employees here.

"No problem." Serena responded, and it wouldn't be, as long as she didn't trip into anything. She just prayed her ability to glide gracefully would hold up there and back, wherever there was.

Harry led Serena into the empty room with the mirror. He took of their cloak and showed her to it. He stood behind her, looking in, and it was the same thing he always saw, his parents, his family and him. He didn't see her in front of him, in either physical reflection or in the mirror looking back either. So she wasn't destined to the same fate he was, nor any of his friends. He was so enthralled still with the image, that he'd almost forgotten she was there, until he moved forward towards it and physically ran into her. "Sorry, what do you see?"

Serena looked long and hard at the image in front of her. It was a man-boy with black hair and piercing blue eyes, he had armor on neither of this time nor place, not even the magical wizarding world. Only she knew the armor was spun flower from Elysia hardened by dragon's fire. The thread was each cord from the dead flowers in his realm, she'd had the chance to visit once, and it really was a safe haven, the unicorn-horn-boy a willing servant to his master, a willing sacrifice. At Harry's question it pulled her from what she could only barely remember, strange, random facts of an era long ago, an era she hardly belonged in, and a life she shouldn't be a part of, she would just ruin everything. This was the first time she'd seen his face, seen anything concrete about him, and yet she didn't remember him, only remembered the armor's details, the strange quirks she'd inherited from him, and the love that was so painful at times, all the time, because she couldn't remember why she loved him, just knew because it was her duty, which had been reiterated over break and knew that it hurt because she wasn't with him, and she even felt betrayed looking into his handsome face while with her best friend, not only on this land, but in the normal, plain human one as well. She thought she had accepted it, the unknown stranger who had dictated her life without even knowing it, but the feelings welling up inside of her clearly pointed out, that she still wasn't completely ok with it, she accepted only aspects, the ones she couldn't change, but she didn't want her life tied to a random man, who may not even live in this world again, no matter how slight that connection might or might not be.

Serena took a long time in answering Harry, and he wondered if she was trapped in her image like he sometimes felt in his, but to him, it always felt so good. He was about to ask again, to pull her out of it and not stay, like Ron had begged to do on occasion when he wanted to be reassured that his future wasn't going to change from what he'd seen. Harry didn't give in to it, and he shouldn't have brought Serena here now either.

Serena shook her head. "I see only ghosts. People who do not exist in this plain any longer. Who never will again."

"Your family?" Harry asked on a breath, maybe she would be suffering the same fate, he wasn't seeing any one else that he might have known that died, just people related to him. She might be fated to die, or they were just seeing the family they lost, because they were both orphans.

"I guess." Serena bit out harder than she meant it and she sighed. "I don't think they look anything like me."

"I wish I could see it." Harry stated and Serena looked at him slightly amused.

"I don't think you do, they're very ugly."

Harry couldn't help the laugh as he covered them both up again, really, it was better nobody else stayed there as long as he liked to. "Hard pressed to believe anyone ugly could produce you."

"I think you'd be very surprised." He was about to argue that point, even her adoptive parents were gorgeous, but he didn't think she wanted to talk about it, she kept trying to make it seem lighter than it was. Maybe she was just worried she too was going to die before they managed to do anything meaningful, he just didn't have the words to reassure her or know the truth.

She hugged him and thanked him for taking her, but she'd refrain from going again and for him to have a pleasant night's sleep.

Harry went to bed, but he felt more bothered than he had been after any other visit. He promised himself he'd go again tomorrow night and be soothed by the images of his smiling parents.

The following night came and he sat in front of the mirror for long hours, trying to memorize each of their faces, including all the relatives he'd never had a chance to meet before he was even born.

"It's an addictive thing isn't it? Seeing your heart's desire played out for you, before your very eyes."

Harry jerked and turned towards the voice. "Headmaster!" He scrambled to his feet. "I'm sorry- I know I shouldn't be-"

"Do not worry Harry, I have been watching you closely for these many nights. It's a dangerous thing though, this mirror, I have met many who have gone made seeing their goals realized and visualized like this, but they never achieve it themselves." Dumbledor shook his head sadly.

"What do you see, professor?"

"Me?" He looked a little puzzled for a moment, before glancing into the mirror. "I see myself with a pair of socks, one can never have too many, you know. I try not to look too often, that's why I stashed it up here, so it'd be less tempting for myself and others. I did not know that you would stumble upon it, however." Dumbledor looked at him kindly. "What do you see in the mirror Harry?"

"My family, the one I lost when Voldormort killed them." Harry glanced back at the mirror. "The family I have left, isn't the best example of true family, in the world."

"I am sorry about that, Harry. It was never my intention to leave you with such uncaring and bitter people, I had suspected that anyone who could raise a girl like Lily, would have been able to raise another one just like her. I suppose even this old man can be wrong." He chuckled. "Come along Harry, there are other ways to see them and the heart can always desire something else more once that has been put to rest."

Harry followed Dumbledor through the halls, the old cat had seen them and spotting Dumbledor, slinked away as if she hadn't.

"I see you got my gift. I hope you use it wiser than to visit some rusty old enchanted mirror."

"It was you, that sent me it?" Harry looked on in amazement as Dumbledor nodded. "My father left this to you?"

"No, he left it in my hands, I felt it was wise to give it back to you on your first Christmas away from home. It does after all, rightfully belong to you, he was kind enough to lend it to me on a mission I had back then."

"Thank you, it means a lot to have something that originally belonged to my parents. It's some type of connection to them that I hadn't had before."

Dumbledor smiled kindly. "What did Ron and Serena see?"

Harry looked up at him for a long moment, trying to process that. "You'd seen them here?"

Dumbledor nodded. "Though Ron has tried to find it during the day, Serena's only been here once, the time you brought her. She hasn't even bothered to look again. I have a feeling she saw something she didn't want to, or something that disturbed her."

"You too, believe she's Voldormort's daughter."

"I have no proof of that. I knew a Tom Riddle once, he was an interesting boy. Serena Riddle has turned out to be a very interesting girl."

"You have no proof? But you seem to know everything about everyone. It'd be a load off of everyone's mind to lay that rumor to rest. She was raised by muggles, for crying out loud!"

"So too, were you. You both have celebrity status, no matter where you were raised, maybe that only makes it more potent." Dumbledor shrugged. "What did she see?"

"Ron said he saw himself as headboy and winner of the Quidditch Cup. Serena said she saw her family."

"Same as you..." Dumbledor dwelled on that internally for awhile.

"She said it before I even opened my mouth to talk about mine." Harry clarified and quickly covered for Serena. Really though, that's how it happened.

"No, I am not doubting what she said she saw. Do you, Harry, believe she is trustworthy?"

Harry nodded instantly. "Of course."

Dumbledor's face broke into a very powerful grin. "Then I am glad. No matter who Serena is related to, she is still her own person, free to make her own mistakes and follow her own heart. You are no different. I just hope neither one of you are too hard on the other in the future. Well, good night Harry."

They were outside the fat lady and after Harry told her the password, turned to say goodnight back to Dumbledor.

"Oh, and Harry?" He asked when the boy stepped one foot through. "Don't go looking for the mirror again, it will be moved tonight and it won't be as easy to find next time."

Harry sighed and nodded, he'd give up on the mirror and the sight within. Dumbledor was right, there was no way to achieve that image, if all he did was sit in front of glass. "I won't, thank you for the enlightenment."

"No problem, if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Minerva is here for you as well."

Harry headed inside and then up to bed.

The following week, Harry decided to focus on the other issue going on. Hermione, Harry and Ron all went under the guise of cloak to Hagrid's house. They removed the cloak and Harry knocked on Hagrid's door. Hagrid looked out with a tense expression. "What are you kids doing here? It's after hours, go back to bed!" He tried to shut the door but Hermione stuck her hand in front of it.

"Come on Hagrid, we need to talk to you." She pushed. Hagrid glanced behind him, he had finally gotten back after a week of being gone and Harry had a feeling he was hiding something.

The three of them pushed themselves in and saw Fang curled up by the fire place and a dragon's egg cocooned on the table. "Hagrid- what-" Ron was next to it and ran his hand down the side, he knew exactly what it was, having seen plenty in the past. "You're not supposed to have this!"

"Hagrid, how did you get it?" Hermione questioned, all of them had forgotten all about questioning him on the stone when there was a giant egg sitting in front of them.

"Ah, I won it in a card game." He admitted. "Just earlier this week."

"They're illegal!" Hermione screamed, clearly upset by the turn of events.

"Nobody knows about it. Except you guys." Hagrid turned defensive.

"And who gave it to you." Ron stated dispassionately.

"Well I won him, fair and square. The man who was sitting opposite of me knew my fondness for animals, we started talking about different breeds we'd raised and the troubles we had to go through with them."

"Hagrd!" Harry suddenly shouted. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothin', just talked about the different animals."

"Did you talk about Fluffy?"

"Maybe." Hagrid was unhelpful, adjusting the blankets around the dragon egg and pulling another one from the hook by the fire.

"If you put it closer to the fire, it will hatch faster." Ron muttered.

"Hagrid, _did_ you talk about Fluffy?"

"Yah, but it wasn't anything important. We were just talking about tricks we had when it came to the more unsettled animals. I just told him how to handle Fluffy, a nice song soothes him." Hagrid groaned. "I shouldn't have told you that."

"You shouldn't have told _him_ that." Harry bit out.

"What did he look like?" Hermione tried to be more levelheaded, but all of the children were angry with Hagrid letting out such vital information, this could facilitate Voldormort's return, somehow.

"I don't know, I never saw his face, he was wearing a black cloak."

"Hagrid, you can't keep the dragon." There was nothing they could do about the information already received, they could only help Hagrid with his newest problem.

"Aw, come on, nobody has to know."

Harry frowned deeply, they weren't going to win with Hagrid, at least not now, and besides, it was still an egg, it had to hatch first and grow a little before it could be moved. Ron had told him that much. "All right, fine. But only until it can fly."

Hermione looked at him like he was crazy and he shrugged off her look. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

Later that night, when the three got safely back to the house common room, they sat by the fire that lit and ran all day and night. "What do you make of that?" Hermione whispered to the other two.

"He gave us how to get past Fluffy." Ron said on a hopeful note.

"He also gave it to Snape." Harry whispered back.

"Why do you think it was him?" Hermione wondered.

"Whoever had traded Hagrid for the egg, had gotten the information on how to get past Fluffy."

"Yeah, but he didn't know who that person was, I think he'd recognize Snape."

"Not with all the tricks he can no doubt do." Harry countered, firmly believing it was Snape, and refusing to look elsewhere. "Snape is the one behind everything, and he's going to go after the stone."

"Not until after finals, I think." Hermione predicted. "I think he'll wait until all of the students and professors are busy."

"What if he goes sooner?"

"We'll just have to keep an eye on him, then." Ron responded glibly. "Between all of our studies and other investigations."

"Oh come on, you big baby." Hermione huffed, still keeping her voice low so as not to wake anyone else. "It's not that hard to keep an eye on a professor."

"I'll do it." A female voice stated over their heads. They turned their gaze to look at Serena. "What? I'll watch him. You guys can focus on everything else. He won't suspect me and I'll just buddy up more to Malfoy, giving me a perfect cover to be near Snape."

"That's not a smart idea-" Harry started to protest.

"Actually... it's not a half bad idea. Though, it is dangerous. I don't think you should do it, but it is a possible solution." Hermione disagreed with Harry, and looking at Serena with a pondering look, trying to work through all the contingencies.

"But Malfoy? Snape? Can we really let her do this?"

"You're not letting me do anything. I volunteered. Besides, they wont hurt me." She winked and Ron shook his head, bemused. She was probably right.

"It's too dangerous!" Harry tried to argue once again, but it seemed as if everyone's mind was made up. So he sighed and let them talk about what was next and he listened in. He agreed with Hermione, it was too soon for Snape to go after the stone, and everyone was very alert and on top of it, they hadn't had enough time to rest easy, knowing it was safe against all odds.

So when Hermione hugged all three of them and headed off for bed, hardly able to keep the yawns at bay, and Ron followed after. Harry caught Serena's hand and pulled her to a stop. "Just, be careful, ok? I don't want anything to happen to you. Don't trust either of them."

Serena smirked, but it was a friendly one, as if she was amused. "Don't worry Harry, I can take care of myself. I'm just glad that you stopped fooling around, looking for that mirror."

"You never looked for it again." He stated, reminded about it, by her own words. "Why?"

"I didn't like what I saw." She answered truthfully. "Seeing it once, was enough." It was forever ingrained in her brain anyway. It didn't matter though, he was dead.

"But it was your family!" Unless her family really was Voldormort, he couldn't see why she'd be so against it. He would give anything to talk to his again.

She smiled gently this time. "Harry." She breathed and pushed back a lock of hair that fell into his eyes. "I have a family I love, anything that mirror could show me, was just smoke and, forgive the pun, mirrors. I desire so much more than what it was telling me."

"Or you just don't know that's what you want."

"That would be the day. Besides, desires can change. Sometimes they're not as great as you've imagined them to be. The reality of some things far outweigh the fantasy."

"Or they can be better than you imagine." Harry tried to argue, but he knew she was probably right in this regard, at least towards her own family.

"Good night Harry." She smiled at him one last time before disappearing up the stairs.

"Good night, Serena." He trudged upstairs to his own bed, Ron was out like a light when he got there.

EAN: So! We're learning more about Serena, even delving into her brain a little, we're getting some type of situation between the two, not saying if it is romantic/relationship because I promised in the beginning and I'm sticking with it... Need more Hermione/Ron interaction? Make it more believable later on? I was trying to keep the story to a minimum, for a few reasons, 1. I just can't remember why Neville wants to stop them in the next chapter (oops... spoiler? Oh well, you knew it was coming, can't beat around a bush or whatever the saying is...) other than he doesn't want their house to get into more trouble. 1a. Under this category, I just don't remember all the little details and ins and outs of HP1, and I have changed it to Philosopher's stone btw, as some of you may have noticed, because... well, I like sorcerers stone, but for some reason philosopher's just worked better in my mind in this story. 2. I don't want to reiterate and bore each of you with a book you've already read, this is more about the changes and interactions between SM world and HP world and a different story but still following the guideline set out for me by the lovely Rowling. Without either creator, I'd have to do homework instead. ;p Anyone know the actual potion challenge they had to go through? If I don't get the answer by the time I post the next part, I'm just going to stick with vagueness...


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

* * *

It irked Harry every time he saw Serena laughing with the- if it was a fair world- should be pimply boy who hadn't seen the sun in years and hair that looked so white, it belonged on an old person. Or standing by Snape's desk in class to ask him a question, she wasn't obvious, but he saw her eyes trained on the dark man's movements, waiting for his slightest slip up. Ron and Hermione, for their part had stuck to the library, and he hadn't a clue what they were doing in there, if it wasn't gathering information, he decided on a more direct path, between studying, classes and Quidditch. He was trying to trick anyone on the staff, if he could into answering his questions, helping them prepare for what was going to happen and if anything was going on in the meantime.

Serena always came back disappointed after spending a few hours with Malfoy during the week, he was totally crushing on her, but she seemed oblivious while Patti in the Slytherin house hung off his every word and sent daggers at Serena's back.

What was worse was the occasional dream he had at the Dursleys was coming much more often, a woman's scream and then fading into black. He feared that they were all wrong, that Voldormort already had power and would appear at any moment at the foot of his bed to finish what he had started 13 years ago.

Finals week was a week away and the boys were stressing so much more than the girls were. Serena's only real concern over the semester had been potions, not too strong in the rest of her subjects, but more than passable, but now she hadn't needed to worry about potions, she would probably pass it with flying colors.

Ron, Hermione and Harry were out visiting Hagrid when there was a knock on the door. Hagrid tried to hide the newborn dragon, but it kept burning up whatever he gave it and he yelped as it burned his hands this time as well. He was so good natured though; he just scolded it kindly before bringing it back into the crook of his arm with soft words.

The kids tried to step in front of it as the door opened and it was Filch. "What are you three doing here?" He questioned, narrowing his beady eyes at them, the scar above his brow much more poignant. "I'm going to have to take you to McGonagall. I will talk to you later, Hagrid!"

The three scuffled out after Filch, breathing a sigh of relief that Hagrid didn't get into trouble. Hagrid apologized to them as they went by, but they'd take their punishment.

They followed the keeper up to McGonagall's office and listened to her berate them about being out so late, and out of the castle, where it was safer. They bowed their heads, though they looked at each other with sideways glances, they knew it was more important. "Three hundred!" She yelled and that snapped all of their attention back onto her.

"What?" Hermione asked shocked. "But-"

"Each." McGonagall continued over her brightest student. "This is not the first time you've been off wandering around the grounds after hours. Maybe this time, it will be a lesson to all of you."

They mumbled that it was and that they were sorry and were escorted back to their house and Filch waited for them to go in and the door to shut before walking off again. The next morning, it had circulated the grounds that they had lost the house 300 points and quickly Harry and the gang were ostracized, even by Ron's brothers. "Sorry Ron, we still like you guys, but we can't be seen with you right now. Hope things get better."

Serena plopped down in their empty place. "So much for keeping your hero status." She jibed cheerfully. "First the Potter-boy that lived- thing, and then Qudditch star and now the most glared at student in Hogwarts. Boy people are fickle."

"Oh, what are you so happy about?" Ron grouched. "Now people aren't glaring at you?"

"Well, they still do that. I don't care; I can't help their fear of something that hasn't been proven." Serena shrugged.

"You could always tell them you're not, that you had seen your family in the mirror." Harry suggested, though he as well wasn't too keen on her giddy mood at the moment. She had said things that hit too close to home.

"I guess I won't share what I just saw with you then, ok, see you guys later." She pushed off the table to leave but Hermione clamped an arm through hers.

"No, please, enlighten us; tell us that spending that much time with the enemy has merits."

"Well, it does." Serena shook her head to waylay them. "But it doesn't have anything to do with what's going on in the underground. Instead, it has a lot to do with who Draco Malfoy's father is, and what our dear old Professor Snape used to be, and-" She was cut off by said Professor wandering over to them.

"Miss Riddle, a word, please."

Serena gulped and nodded, following Snape out of the room and into the corridor. "Think he's convincing her not to tell us?"

"A memory block maybe, or eraser?" Ron asked, looking a little scared for their blond friend.

"Maybe." The three of them stood and turned to go help her out, or at least watch, to know what they had to do to help her, but she came bouncing back in shortly after leaving and gathered up her books. "Serena-"

"Come on sillies, it's time for class." She grabbed Ron's arm and pulled them out after her.

* * *

She never told them what she was about to say. Nor did she really need to as Harry came to his own conclusion later that week. Quirrell was arguing with someone and Harry couldn't see who, but he'd vowed after the last incident costing the house their well-earned points that he wasn't going to get involved in anything for a while. But listening in, he heard Quirrell finally give in to the other person. "Fine, I'll do it."

Snape had convinced Quirrell to give him the answer to some problem he knew was down there. He'd seen Snape talking to all of the professors who'd been charged with selecting a riddle and a challenge to any who dare seek the stone.

Quirrell turned and his eyes started seeking the area, looking for someone he was guessing was there. Harry quickly moved off before he was caught, it could happen, even if it hadn't yet. He slipped into the house and took off the cloak in the shadow created by the enclave. He placed it over his arm and caught Ron and Hermione's eyes. Serena was too much of a question mark at the moment, since they didn't know what she knew or what Snape had done to her, probably nothing, but still, it was easier if only 3 of them got into trouble, he didn't want to put any of them in danger, especially not her, if she could be the link between many of the mysteries going on, it was best to keep her away from possible evil. Harry hated to admit it, but a lot of things pointed towards the idea that if she went down with them, she'd meet her father. He didn't want to believe it, and he didn't want it confirmed.

The three of them huddled together to talk, Serena wasn't even in the room; Harry believed she was with Malfoy, but Hermione shook her head when he asked after her. "No, I had seen him just before just before I came in, he was looking for her too, I think."

Harry frowned, where could that girl be? He didn't ask any follow up questions, because he knew they were as confused as he was. So they went back to planning. They were going to have to tell Dumbledor, Snape wouldn't make a move if the headmaster was watching him. "So, we go tell Dumbledor tomorrow. It is the second day of finals."

It took them a few days, but their search for talking to Dumbledor ended with Professor McGonagall in her office. "We need to talk to Headmaster Dumbledor!" Ron exclaimed.

"Why would you need to do such a thing, Weasly?" She asked, sitting behind her desk and looked at him skeptically.

"We can't really tell you, it's something only Dumbledor can know."

"That's ridiculous, I'm in charge while he's away, you can tell me."

The three looked at each other. "Well..." Hermione began. "It's about the philosopher's stone."

"What do you know of the stone?" McGonagall sat forward, with a catch of alarm. "You should just forget anything you think you know and continue on with your studies."

It was the end of conversation for them, and she showed them to the door. "Wait- how long is the Headmaster going to be gone for?"

"A week." McGonagall answered before they got the door shut on them, end of story.

"A week?" Ron asked, scandalized.

"Then... Snape can go after the stone any time."

"McGonagall is now aware." Hermione pointed out. "I don't think he'll go after it until the attention is off of him."

"The end of finals?" Harry shook his head. "We have to go now; we have to beat him to it!"

"Harry!" Hermione grabbed his arm. "Be reasonable! We can't go down tonight, we have to get things together and prepare. We'll go down when we can, but our studies-"

"Come first." Harry and Ron intoned at the same time. "Yeah, yeah, we know." Ron finished.

Hermione huffed but the other two agreed to follow her plan and they went the rest of the week through finals and afterwards, when the rest of the students were sleeping, for the first time in a week, Hermione, Ron and Harry were sneaking out.

Neville blocked their path, just inside the fat lady. "Come on guys, you can't keep doing this- you're going to cost us more points, and we don't have time to regain them at all this time."

"Come Neville, we need to do this, move out of the way." Harry said, wanting to get through this peacefully, they didn't have time for this.

"No." Neville raised his wand, ready to fight.

Hermione rolled her eyes and used her wand faster than Neville, locking him in place, as if he'd been tied up. He fell over, unable to speak or move. "Sorry Neville, but we have to do this."

They stepped over him and out the door. They moved quickly to the door that behind it, housed Fluffy. When they got there, the dog was asleep, but one of dog heads was over the trapdoor, and a harp was playing on its own. As soon as they walked in, and attempted to move the head without getting bitten or slobbered on, the harp stopped playing. They knew that Snape had already been here and they were already several steps behind. The dog opened its eyes and moved its head slightly to look at them, clearly waking up. The kids used that time to sneak through, while Harry played the flute that Hagrid had given him for his Christmas present.

Harry dived into the trap door and barely managed to avoid the claws swiping at him when he stopped playing. He landed in something soft but quickly wrapped around him. He could now hear Ron shouting in panic and Hermione calling out to him. "What do we do?" Harry asked, gaining the others attention.

"You have to relax, they only get tighter as you fight it, they can kill you if you don't let it glide you through smoothly."

"Kill you?" Ron croaked loudly and continued fighting against his confinements.

Harry took a deep breath and relaxed, the vines moved for him and gently lowered him down to the ground beneath. They could only hear Ron's mumbling now, no words. Hermione sighed heavily before using her wand to zap the vines surrounding Ron, it was only possible to do so from this angle.

Ron fell with a clap against the ground and a groan of pain. "Thanks." He whined.

"Baby." Hermione hissed. "Get up."

"Two down." Harry stated, looking at the long corridor in front of them. "And an infinite amount to go."

Their next challenge brought them to a door with a broom next to it. Hermione looked closely at it and narrowed her eyes. "There's an inscription." It was a rhyme that was supposed to help them find the right key. Harry took the broom and looked up to the ceiling there were keys flying around with wings on them, and they weren't going slow. Harry's eyes scanned the room. "There, it has a broken wing. Someone wasn't playing fair."

Hermione couldn't have agreed more. "Can you get it?" She asked instead.

Harry tossed a grin over his shoulder to the two. "Oh sure, no problem at all." True to his word, it was probably easier to get at than the snitch at times.

The next obstacle wasn't as simple or quick. There were four potion bottles with a description each and a problem. Ron went to grab for one but Hermione slapped his hand away. "This is the big league Ron, choosing the wrong one could kill you." Hermione spent probably a good fifteen minutes on the problem, going back and forth, picking one up before putting it back down and then returning to it before moving on again.

"We don't have the time for this." Ron spoke out of the side out of his mouth to Harry.

"Shut up!" Hermione snapped glaring at Ron. "It takes time, unless you want to take a poisoned potion! One less for us to chose from, and one less person to worry about!" "

"Jeez, sorry Hermione." He held up his hands to ward her off.

Hermione rolled her eyes and then grabbed one. "This one."

"You sure about it?" Harry asked.

"Only one way to find out." Hermione grimaced before taking a swallow before anyone could stop her. The two boys couldn't take their eyes away from Hermione's face, waiting for something to happen to her. Hermione rolled her eyes and spun on her heel, if she wasn't dead yet, then she'd picked the right one. The door behind the table slid open. "Come on guys, I don't know if it will close after me or if all of us need to drink it." She held onto it and the boys proceeded her but a forcefield wouldn't let her through so she put down the bottle where she had picked it up from and then tried again, she was allowed through this time.

They continued on through the underbelly of the castle and many dark corridors. Hermione took the initiative and used her wand to light a path, and the boys followed suit. Harry considered this trick, it'd be great for when he had to return home, unless he could manage to get out of it somehow. But somehow, it became a little more bearable to think that Serena would be just down the street from him.

They walked until they came upon puffs of lowline clouds obscured their view. Pushing through it they stumbled upon a large board with alternating white and silver squares. Ron took stock of the situation long before anyone else could. "Hermione take square nine." He dictated all the spots of the broken chess pieces and he got onto the back of a knight. After several tactical movements, Harry caught on to Ron was planning. "Ron." He whispered, gaining the attention of the redhead. "What are you doing?"

"You're the only one that can face you-know-who, it's the smartest choice."

"But-"

"Just do it, and go, we'll be all right." Ron ordered a few more moves and then put himself to be taken out. The giant wizarding chess piece attacked Ron and he fell.

"Don't!" Harry shouted when Hermione, wide-eyed and fearful for Ron's safety attempted to move towards him. "Stay put or it'd be pointless." Hermione nodded, though he could see she was holding herself back, but not liking it, but knowing it was practical. Harry stepped up to the king and it fell over. Harry then ran to the other end of the chess board.

"Go!" Hermione shouted when he stopped to look back at her, to see if she'd follow. "I'll watch out for Ron, you have to get that stone!"

Harry continued on and he slid to a halt in another room, this time well lit and almost reminded him of floors associated with Alice in Wonderland. It was a tan brick, that covered both the floors and walls, but the floor was far from even. He stopped and looked at the man and the mirror, the only two objects in the room. Harry withdrew his wand and the man turned. Harry held back his gasp as the person's identity was revealed, it was above all else, not Professor Snape.

"S-s-surprised, Harry?" The stuttering, weak, defense against the dark arts teacher questioned. "Su-suppose y-you thought it was S-Snape? He tried to stop me during Halloween." His stuttering disappeared in the middle of his sentence and his face, if possible turned more sinister. "He was always trying to stop me. Halloween, Quidditch, talking me out of it, watching me closely." Quirrell shook his head. "The stupid man thought that it was too dangerous to try anything under Dumbledor's watch."

"Let me see him." A ghostly voice, well worn and surprisingly weak echoed around the room. Quirrell smirked and started to undo his turban and as he did so turned around. Harry shied away from the sight at first, there as a face sticking out of the back of Quirrell's head like a disturbing growth. It was bald, wrinkly and malformed too. "I'm surprised my daughter isn't with you, she's as much of a wrench in things as Snape and you." Harry rubbed at the scar on his forehead as Voldermort talked and his eyes widened at the reference. "That's right, Serena Riddle. How is the little pup, anyways? Taking after her dear old dad? No..." He sighed. "I suppose she's infiltrated your house." He snarled. "Problem with being raised by such weakling, muggles."

"Look in the mirror, Harry." Quirrell ordered and Harry moved around the two, he'd have to deal with the information he'd learned about Serena later, right now, he had to find the stone, and get out of there and rally the teachers to help face Quirell, at least until Dumbledor returned. "What do you see?"

The image was of himself putting the stone in his pocket but he said something different. "I'm- I'm winning the house cup! I'm the house champion! Oh wow."

"He lies." That snake-like voice slithered up Harry's back. "The stone is in his pocket."

Quirrell made to grab at Harry, to retrieve the stone himself, but his hands blistered and he pulled back in a shock of pain. He tried it a few times and Harry turned around, ready to fight, but realized that his wand would be useless at the moment until he actually learned anything worthwhile in fighting dark arts. Obviously Quirrell wouldn't have taught him that, as it was the very same man trying to kill him now. Harry used his other option, if Quirrell couldn't get close to him, he wondered if it was possible to do the other way around. He grabbed at Quirrell's face, searing the professor and the pain in his scar readily increased and Harry held on to both consciousness and Quirrell as long as he could. He felt something shift in his hands, just as he fainted.

* * *

Harry awoke with a jerk, and the first thing he noticed, on some conscious level, was that he was alive. The second thing he noticed was that a little blond head was passed out on the end of his bed on her folded arms but not facing him. He looked around and saw that Ron and Hermione were slouched together in chairs across the room, both sleeping.

He had a moment to take in all the flowers and get-well trinkets and wishes, before his eyes rested on Serena Riddle again. He should have been furious, pissed off that she really was the daughter of the most vile man in all of history, but he decided that would come later, when he woke up again, and he slipped off to sleep.

The next time he woke up, he sat up and stayed awake for more than a second. The players were all shifted, Hermione was gone, Ron was on a cot and Serena was asleep in a more comfortable chair. A tall man with a shock of white hair, this time from age, and not unnaturalness came strolling in and a huge grin on his face. "Ah, Harry, pleased to see you're awake."

"Professor! How long have I been out?" They were both talking in very hushed tones, so as not to awaken the sleeping neighbors.

"Oh, only a day or so."

"Did you get back in time to save me?" Harry couldn't quite recall what happened after his hands landed on Quirrell's face.

Dumbledor shook his head. "No, no one knows what happened to Quirrell, but when I got there, both he and Voldermort were gone, at least in Quirrell's sense, his mind had taken off with Voldermort."

"So then I-" Harry began to question, but Dumbledor shrugged, it seemed no one would know the answer to how or what happened. "Serena-"

"She wasn't down there with you guys, but she hasn't left since you've come." Dumbledor popped in his mouth a chocolate frog.

"The stone!" Harry gasped and Dumbledor shook his head.

"It's being destroyed, I spoke with the Flamel, we agreed. He said his life has been long enough, and fulfilling, there isn't a need to live longer than almost 200 years."

"How did I get it in my pocket?" Harry couldn't understand that.

"It was destined to go to someone searching for it, but not wanting to use it. You fit that category Harry. Well, I hope you're feeling better, because you woke up just in time for the end of the year feast." Dumbledor chuckled. They talked for a little bit more but he had other matters to attend to and before he left, he reached out and touched Serena's shoulder. "Your friend is awake."

Serena was a little groggy and it didn't register until Dumbledor was far away from sight and then she shot to her feet and shook Ron awake. "Harry's awake!" Then she rushed to Harry's side. "Are you all right? How are you feeling? I was so worried when I heard about-"

"Don't talk to me, I don't want to see you, _ever_." Harry had remembered how angry he was with her. "You _knew_ you were the Voldermort's daughter, didn't you? You let me go in there blind! How do I know that you weren't feeding him information about our plans, _and_ leading us on?"

Serena gapped at him for awhile before she firmed her stance. "Now wait a minute! I wouldn't do anything such thing! I'm not, nor would I ever be a spy for that despicable man, he is not my father, and there is nothing you can say that would change that at all!"

"Just leave, Serena." Harry was pissed, it was one thing to speculate, it was another to have it proven. It was just too much, and too upsetting to even be in the room with her, the flesh and blood of a man that had killed his parents, countless of other muggle-born witch and wizards, untold amounts more of muggles and had tried to kill him, on a few occasions already, and he doubted Voldermort was gone for good. Harry knew they had not seen the last of him. She had that ability to kill and destroy in her genetics, and her good girl act was only so convincing.

Serena was going to argue with him more, but the nurse came in and told her she should leave, she was upsetting the patient and now that he was up, she could go take care of herself too. So, after being ushered out of the room, and Ron, having fallen back asleep after the good news, woke and talked with Harry for awhile. Ron was furious too at the news of Serena actually being Voldermort's daughter, he had joked but he'd always believed her to be an unfortunately named muggle-born. He'd never stopped to think of the possibility that she was actually the dark lady if she so chose to be, an easy gateway for her father to return. "We can't trust her!" Ron scowled. Harry more than agreed.

Later that night, Harry, Ron and his brothers sat at one end with a few other Gryffindors taking up the outskirts. Fred and George were trying to talk across the table to Serena, but she was ignoring all of them and talking to a few of the girls near her. Ron elbowed George in the ribs. "Enemy." He hissed.

George and Fred ignored their brother and when Hermione came in, she took one look over the table and smacked Harry in the back of the head, before Ron got the same treatment. "This is not the correct way to go about things! Erg! You're being idiots!" She stormed down the table before sitting right next to Serena, even shoving one girl out of her way to do so.

"Think she knows the truth?" Ron questioned out loud.

"Yeah, she does, and she disagrees with us."

"Well tough, it'll be her neck that's snapped first when Serena shows her true colors." Ron glowered down the table at both the girls who had previously been their friends. Hermione still was, for the most part, had proven herself to be. "Still can't believe it wasn't Snape."

"I still have my suspicions about Snape. He might have saved me a couple of times, but I still distrust him. What was he talking to Serena about that other day then? He still seems to me to be a bad guy. He's just biding his time."

Ron couldn't disagree with him, Snape had rubbed the redhead the wrong way too many times as well, and he looked over at the table with the professors. He could see where Snape would be a bad man, however, he had to assume that Dumbledor would know Snape could be trusted if he'd had him set up a block, knew he'd gone to reassure the professors that the dog hadn't been breached. "At the very least, he's a bad teacher and hates Gryffindor."

He and Harry didn't speak of this anymore, Snape was sitting up on the podium, along side McGonagall, and the other house professors, and a few that just taught courses. Hagrid was up there too, not a professor, but where he belonged.

"What happened to his dragon?" Harry asked, as he too looked at the teachers. None of the Gryffindor house was happy for the upcoming announcement and so they were a little more subdued than the other tables and Harry didn't need to speak loudly. He actually had to keep his voice down so he wouldn't be overheard.

"My brother and him met up somewhere nearby and brought the dragon back to Norway with him. No harm, no fowl. My brother will look after him, and Hagrid can come visit."

"It all worked out then for him." Harry smiled and shared that smile with Hagrid himself. The half-giant's smile was large in return. "I'm glad."

They went back to eating and it was a little into the meal before Headmaster Dumbledor cleared his throat. Then his voice came across to each of them as if he was sitting next to all of them. "It is time to announce the house winners!" The room quieted down instantly, and waited on baited breaths for what a years worth of work had given them. "Coming in last, Gryffindor at 2300 points. Hufflepuff 2855, Ravenclaw 2975 with silver ribbons." The Ravenclaw streamers had silver ones along side them. "And our winner is Slytherin with an impressive 3200." Gold unrolled along the Slytherins' beamers. Everyone cheered and celebrated, even though Gryffindor looked put out. "However!" Dumbledor raised his hands. "Recent events need to be taken into account."

The room quieted down and someone asked. "What does that mean?"

Dumbledor raised his hands for silence. "For sheer wit and knowledge, I award Hermione Granger 275 points, for military know-how and sacrificing himself, I award Ron Weasley 275 points. For bravery and courage in the face of adversary, I award Harry Potter 350 points!"

Ron leaned towards Harry and spoke to him, exactly what everyone else was thinking. "We're tied with Slytherin."

"AND to Neville Longbottom, for when standing up to an enemy is tough, standing up to a friend is even harder, I award 105 points." Everyone stood there shell shocked for a long time. "I think a change in decoration is in order, don't you?" Dumbledor clamped his hands and the decorations that littered the room, Slytherin green and silver changed into Gryffindor's colors instead and the banners shifted locations to fit the proper houses. "Let's keep celebrating year's end!"

The food on the table changed courses and everyone who wasn't already full dug in with relish. Harry's eyes despite his intentions slid down the table to Hermione and Serena. She was just picking at her food. Harry wasn't feeling too hungry himself anymore, he just realized that Voldermort's daughter was living in the same house he was the entire time, and maybe the only thing stopping her was all the professors, but she also lived down the street from him back home, and there was nobody to stop her then. How had she picked the very same neighborhood he lived in?

Harry probably wasn't being fair to her, he knew her for an entire year, and had never thought one negative thing about her other than she might be a little lazy when it came to school work and waking up. Harry sighed, he'd just have to keep her away until he could figure something else out, he couldn't trust her anymore, she came from the same stock as a prejudice serial killer. It had to be in her blood somewhere, that intense, dark power. Though, then again, Ron was right that first day, it had to mean something that she was in their house and not with Malfoy... Harry was torn and he didn't know what to make of it.

A shadow over fell him as he too pushed around his food and he looked up to see Hagrid at his shoulder. "Hey Harry, how you doing? Ron." He greeted. "I'm surprised to see that the whole gang isn't here. Why are the girls down there?" He nodded towards them. "I hope they're not mad at you guys. I sure like that Serena, she's got a good heart and head on her shoulders. Did you know that she volunteered to help me after Christmas break with my plants and animals? She's a real life saver. She even took care of Fang for me when I went to go meet Ron's brother. Thanks for that, by the way. He's a real nice guy." Hagrid clasped a giant hand on Harry's shoulder. "I guess, I'm just wondering if you're all right. It was a large scare for all of us when you were found and taken to hospital."

Harry smiled reassuringly up at Hagrid. "Yeah, I'm all right, thank you. Are you doing ok, without your pet?"

"I miss my baby." Hagrid agreed and wiped away a tear. "But he's in a better place now."

"What finally convinced you to let him go?" Ron asked, intrigued.

"Believe it or not, Serena. She talked to me at length about the benefits and overall positives for Norbert going to Norway. Told me that it'd always view me as its mother, but like any child, you have to let them fly and be free if you really cared for it."

Ron grumpily settled back towards his food and ate more, he wasn't pleased that Serena was brought up again. "Oh yeah, she's a real saint."

"Ron-" Hagrid started in a warning but Harry covered for his friend.

"He's just a little upset about the truth of her lineage."

"I went to school with Tom, he was a real nice guy, helped me out." Hagrid argued. "But what was in him, started before that, Serena doesn't have it." Ron's words upset Hagrid so he went back without a goodbye.

"Great going." Harry complained, and Ron looked confused. Harry went back to his food, and ignored Ron's puzzled look, honestly that boy didn't have any tact some days.

Serena left him alone, all night, and he was a little surprised by it, as tomorrow they'd all be leaving Hogwarts for the entire summer. However when he heard the delicate knock on the door, he knew who would be on the other end of it, and so did Ron. He got up and got to the door before any of the other boys could go. Harry winced for the blond, he knew Ron would not be pleasant.

* * *

Serena knocked at the boys chamber door, on any normal morning, she and Hermione would have busted in and roused the boys out of bed themselves, well, Hermione would in the mornings before coming back and pulling her out and shoving robes at her and a day's worth of clothes. In the evenings, or on the weekends if Harry was feeling grumpy, she would on her own, or Hermione would with her. The first time it happened, the boys had shrieked and it was entertaining. But it wasn't the morning, and it wasn't the weekend, and it wasn't a normal occasion.

Ron came to the door, and seeing who it was, crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the door, trying to make no space available for anyone to try and bust through, much like Harley does and did whenever Harry's uncle came over to yell at the loud noise. If it wasn't such an important situation, Serena would have giggled at Ron being compared to her 'father', who really had been more of a father figure than Tom Riddle had ever been, even when he was alive, not that she could remember it anyways, but really, Tom Riddle, a _good_ father? She wanted to snort at just the thought.

"He's not in."

"Oh come off it Ron, I didn't do anything wrong, let me just talk to him."

"He's not here, I told you. If he were, I doubt he'd want to talk to _you_."

"Stop being such a child Ron. Harry!" She called out, and pushed her way past Ron, he tumbled over with her surprising strength. Harry rolled out of bed and threw on his robe.

"What is it, Serena?"

"Come on, I need to talk to you." She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him out of the room where there were a lot of boys just waking up because of the commotion, it was late, and the common room would most likely be empty. It was as she had walked across to the boy's area. He dragged his feet but let her pull him out of the room and down the stairs to the empty, because it was so late at night, common room. She pushed him down onto a couch and took the seat opposite of him.

"I know you're hurting." Serena said, not letting go of his hand. "I realize that, but you can't push me out because of the information we received, because you're finally getting a glimpse of your family, who they were and what they looked like. It doesn't change the past, and it doesn't change who I am, and our friendship."

"But your father-"

"Was who he was, and is, I guess." She frowned, trying to think that one through. "Whatever he is now, if he's even partly human." There was a disgusted look that crossed her features and she shook her head, and her face cleared of any dislike and she looked at him again. "I'm only related to him through blood, that's all Harry, we both know that, he became like he did because of things that had happened before Dumbledor got to him, maybe I am like him in some ways, I don't know. I doubt it though, I think my lineage goes a lot further back than him, or it's more heavily reliant on the other side of my upbringing, that woman he impregnated and then murdered. Either way Harry, you need to take your head out of the sand and look around you, you aren't alone in this, there's others who know what you're going through, or have had the same thing happened to, they're even in your house."

"But it's different your father died because he was trying to kill me, after killing my father. He might have killed your mother, but both of my parents are gone because of him, and he almost took me, an innocent one year old with him."

Serena shook her head. "Not me, you prat. Neville. He was part of the same prophecy, his parents were killed in the fight against Voldermort and he only survived because of misinformation on his location, he was away from his parents, with his grandmother at the time. He knows exactly what you're going through, don't you think he has the same amount at stake in finally ending Voldemort's terror, once and for all?"

"I never knew that about him." Harry looked thoughtful, wondering why Neville had never said anything, sure Harry knew he lived with his grandma, but he never thought anything of it, things happen in the muggle world where that it wasn't all that different or unique. Apparently, here, it was. He wondered too, why Neville would share that information with Serena.

"Maybe if you started listening to other people, for a change, you'd hear that you're not all that different than the rest, the only thing that makes you special up until you came here, was that you were the boy _that lived_ through an attack. Just like I'm not all that special just because of who my father might have been. I haven't demonstrated great wizarding abilities, you have, with the help of your friends, sure, but a lot of it, is from you and from here." Serena's finger landed on his chest, just above his heart. "This is your most important commodity."

Harry put his hand over hers and looked into her eyes, impressed by the knowledge and passion she held and shared with him. "Yours too." He whispered, looking away from her blue eyes and to the hands at his chest. He squeezed it slightly before she disentangled herself. Her heart was the biggest and sweetest he'd ever seen, he didn't know how he'd ever doubted that before but he wouldn't again.

"Well, good night Harry." She stood and stretched, heading towards the girl's quarters, a place, boys would never be allowed, even if the girls barged in on their space.

"Serena-" he called out and she stopped to look back at him. "Thank you."

She smiled at him before heading up the stairs and out of sight.

Harry headed back to his bed with a yawn breaking out across his face. He'd had one of the most powerful conversations he'd ever had and with Serena Riddle, no matter how ironic that might have been if they were any other two people, but she always managed to reach down into his soul and pull out something good. Ron was still up and sitting in his bed as Harry came back. "What'd she want?"

"To remind me that no matter what I'm going through right now, that I'm not alone."

"I could have told you that." Ron muttered, beating at his pillow as he finally allowed himself to lay down in the bed, assured Harry came back in one piece.

"I know we have a lot against her father, but we can't hold it against her."

"You weren't raised in the wizarding world, and heard all the horror stories, all the problems that were caused by her father."

"Who's to say she's taking after her father? Her parents could have both been Slytherin, but she's proving she's got a heart of a lion, every day."

"Next thing you know, she'll be on our Quidditch team." Ron grumbled, but he was a hard one to figure out at times, he didn't like Hermione either, but he went and saved her when he could, and after an initial rough start, they'd become best of friends. Hermione and Serena were probably the two closest girl friends in the entire school, even despite her initial distrust of the blond. Ron had liked Serena until there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that she was the dark lord's daughter.

* * *

The next day Ron greeted Serena like he usually did and everything was ok between them again, Ron was funny like that, liking someone until challenged and then when things sorted themselves out, he was ok with them again. Harry and Hermione both had gotten his silent treatment at times when he was angry with them, but it hadn't ever really lasted long, Serena's icy treatment had only lasted between the stone incident to the make-up between Harry and Serena themselves, and a good night's sleep. So basically, a day. Ron could be cranky and more snappy without it. He needed his good humor to mend fences between him and the blond.

Harry rolled his eyes as Ron sank down at the table with them next to Serena and stole her roll and bit into it. He started talking and sprayed her with bread crumbs. Serena wiped them off of her shirt and raised a blond eyebrow. "You're ok with me again?"

"Of course. You're too cute to stay mad at, and too strong." Ron laughed, surprised again at her strength to just shove him out of the way like that. "Truce?"

"No." Serena responded her face giving nothing away but a seriousness and Ron's face fell. "But I am ok with being friends."

Ron's face split into a grin and he tapped Serena on the nose. "Deal."

After breakfast they didn't have much to do before they were heading out to join the rest of the school to go back to the train, which would take them all home. The four of them talked and laughed and recapped the year. Hermione had gone to the bathroom and Ron had gone to see his brothers, so Harry and Serena were alone in the car.

"You didn't see Voldermort, did you? In the mirror, I mean." Serena looked at him a long time before she shook her head, no, she didn't. "I thought you said you saw your family."

"I did, but Voldermort isn't family." Serena responded and didn't flinch or give anything away.

"But you looked so disturbed when you were looking into the mirror. Why, if it was your family, and not Voldermort?"

Serena sighed. "Let's just leave it at the fact that it was something else that I just didn't want to see."

"Dumbledor said it was your hearts desire that you see in the mirror."

"If that's the case, then I need to get my head checked." Serena teased, but a pair of piercing blue eyes haunted her since she first saw them in said mirror.

* * *

"Is Harry talking to the family across the street?" Petunia asked her husband.

He looked up from his newspaper. "Nonsense, he's weeding the garden and the couple down the street are snobs of the worst kind."

"But he is, and there's a girl with them, a blond."

Vernon staggered to his feet and looked out the window. "Since when did they have a daughter? Where could he have met her? Dudley! Have you noticed a girl in the neighborhood before this?"

Dudley came down the steps and looked out the window. "Actually, she does look familiar, I might have seen her over Christmas break, and another woman. Thought they were just visiting for the holidays, maybe they're back for the summer?"

"Hmm..." Petunia mused. "Get to know her, would you Dudley-wudly? And take down Harry before he can poison her mind towards his freak-ness." A scowl tilted her top lip.

"No problem mummie." A wicked smile crossed Dudley's face.

Meanwhile, across the street a slightly awkward introduction was taking place. "Harry, I'd like to introduce you to my parents, Harley, Susanna, and Michelle." Serena stood between them and she put a hand on Harley's arm. "Moms, dad, I'd like to introduce you to Harry, he's in my house at school and he lives just down the street, with his aunt and uncle, you've met the uncle before."

"The fat, balding man?" Harley asked, leaning against the pillar in front of their house, made of brick and vines. Harley looked closely at the boy, he was too short to be the prince, and had the wrong colored eyes as well. But he still had the towseled black hair that never wanted to stay in place, must be a trait with the color, Harley mused. This boy had the strangest scar in the shape of a lightning bolt sitting just above his brow, and Harley wisely remained silent when the question popped into his head.

"One would think that, when one has a head full of thick lustrous hair." Harry couldn't decide if the man had blond or light brown now that he was up close. The woman he'd been watching when they moved in, now that she too was close, proved that it wasn't a trick of the light, there really was a tint of green in her black strands. The other woman, the one he hadn't seen before was eying him with a smile, but he didn't for one second buy into the soft look, Serena had warned him, this woman was probably the most sly one. Harry thought it was funny that the outside image was opposite for the couple's inside personality, though he thought Serena was a little biased with Harley, he too could probably turn into a real nightmare if ever crossed.

There was silence as Harry thought over the family dynamics, and after he said his words, everyone seemed to be waiting for Harley's reaction. It came in the form of laughter. "I think I like this kid. You say he goes to school with you?" Harley turned navy eyes on Serena who nodded. "Would you like to come in? I think Michi just finished a pot of tea and Sue just bought some crumpets."

Harry smiled. "I would like that."

"Maybe while you're in here, you can tell us all the juicy details Serena leaves out." Susanna continued ruffling Serena's hair. Serena tried to duck, but it was no good, it still got messed up.

Serena rolled her eyes at Harry and mouthed 'family' to him. "I've already told you all the gory details. There's nothing for you to harass him with."

"Maybe, we'll see. You never did tell us why Dumbledor sent a letter to all of the parents on Halloween, trying to reassure our fears about the incident that our children have already probably told us about."

"Or who this Draco Malfoy is..."

"That one, I will tell you about!" Harry looked pleased to tell on Serena, but she sent him a glare that probably would have murdered him, had looks killed. He laughed and Serena smiled bemused at him. Harry had a good feeling about this summer, the first one in a long time that he was looking forward to; even his family couldn't get him down, if Serena was nearby....

* * *

EAN: SO there's this really mean person on this site, and I'm not going to point fingers, but they left me a very mean review, and messages and has been telling me that I should just stop posting and never should have to begin with. And instead of following his advice, which is stupid actually, as he seems to be someone who spends all his time locked up in his house and playing video games and pretending he's someone but really in the end has no life, I have actually been inspired to post more and continue writing. It doesn't matter if he doesn't like it, other people do, and my reaction to people telling me I am a horrible writer, is just to write more. Because in the end, writing more is there to help improve it and people can lend support and helpful criticism instead of broad rants and I just like to write and like to post. I stated in the beginning and I will repeat it now, there are gaps in my memory of HP and a few of them, I love help with to fix it, and others, they're intentional, it is after all, a mix between SM and HP, and I really think in the end that's where he just can't stand it, he's probably some chauvinist and I spit in your face and continue posting, if he continues reading, then really its his problem and not mine. I did not leave mean reviews for those who I did not like, they actually inspired me to write a response fic, in a way, and I never mentioned any names or story titles. So, next update everyone, will be Chapter 2, book 2 (sort of). Hope you all continue leaving reviews and reading!


	6. Year 2 P1 Chapter 6

Chapter 2

Part 1 / 6

AN: So actually, no… I think I'm changing my mind. Before I was saying I apologize for any inconsistencies, but now I've decided because it is a cross-over and it IS a cross-over, that I'm allowed to have a few changes to the plot, story, characters and creatures. There are going to be factual errors, this is a given and I've stated it many times and people still continue to tell me that I have errors without actually pointing out what they are. I am going off of my own memory of the books, movies and sparknotes/Wikipedia. It's Piviet drive guys in the British version, just like it philosophers stone, not sorcerers (or at least when I was looking up the address, I couldn't find anything but Piviet drive, even though I HAD thought it was Privet in both British and American before that…). These things are now all going to be done on purpose, to fit my story and plot. Especially now that I'm combining books and adding a second story line more and more. Thank you though for reviewing anyways. I just don't need to hear something I've already iterated many times before, and as a warning for you guys too. I hope you continue reviewing and lending me suggestions or telling me what you like, or if you like it or what I should work on. Constructive Criticism is always well appreciated.

AN2: I know Riddle is the muggle name of Voldermort but I'm dealing with that this 'chapter', at least I hope I am when it comes to the diary and why nobody would be the wiser… It might just be a change from Tom Riddle to- riddle… but that seems too obvious still. I never knew why nobody knew who Tom Riddle really was until the end of the book… I mean they know every detail of any famous person, it should have been in the books somewhere that they were the same person. For the audience, we weren't accessible to that knowledge. (Before you say, why would Harry look up someone named Tom Riddle, he wouldn't, not really, but he would probably know Voldermort's real name.)

AN3: I meant for Dobby to be so annoying, he was in my head, and it's kind of a spoof on how really annoying he is…

Harry tore at the weeds in the garden, early August and they were over running the place. Serena sank down onto the ground next to him and pulled idly at a couple of them as she smiled at him, amused. Her birthday was a couple of weeks ago and he'd bought her gift in Hogsmed and had it air carried over to her. After that, Vernon threw a lock onto Hedwig's cage and locked up his trunk. It was still in his room at least, but useless to him. He was only let out when he had chores outside, so he wouldn't disturb the neighbors.

Harry wasn't supposed to be studying for school, but at night, he threw the blanket over his head and used his wand to act as a flashlight as he read from his books. It was a slow process, much less effective than having the overhead light on, but he was halfway through the summer and he was halfway through his books. He'd also managed to magik the locks so he could get at his books. Vernon wanted to throw the wand in there as well but Harry turned it on them, refusing to let them touch it and they'd backed off with a hurry, allowing him to keep that.

The green strands intertwined with her fingers and they pulled smoothly from the ground without leaving behind the roots. Harry watched with annoyance as they came to her easily while he had to tug and pull and wrestle with them. "How is today going?" She asked softly as she continued helping him, but not quickly, she didn't want to cut their time short.

"Not too horrible." He responded with a slight smile in her direction. "It's been a pretty light day for chores. How about you?"

"Wanting to see you and doing readings. Gosh they're hard, aren't they? I'm so lost with the Potions one." Serena shook her head and pushed back her blond bangs to get a better look at him.

"I finished that one last night, not sure I understood it either, but hopefully Snape will be able to fill us in on some more information when we get back." Serena's eyes slid from him to look around the front yard and then up at the windows they were in front of before she slid some paper towards him and pressed them into his hands. He pushed them into his back pocket and tugged down his oversized shirt so they wouldn't be seen. "Thanks." He whispered, he hadn't gotten any mail directly and in one of the letters Hermione had explained that everything was either not responded to by him or returned to sender. Harry had a feeling that his aunt and uncle were keeping mail from him, and he had no way to respond, except through Serena.

A few minutes and several topics later, Dudley pushed open the front door with a bang and Serena jumped and looked at him, startled by the noise. "Ah, Serena!" Dudley called and came towards her with his arms out as if he were about to hug her. "I'm glad you've come, has Harry been a pain? I'm surprised he didn't tell me, you must have been waiting forever."

Serena rolled her eyes and settled back down across the garden patch from Harry. Dudley dropped a grubby hand on her shoulder and she tried to shake it off. "What do you want?" Harry grumbled, Serena was his friend, and though the Dursley's didn't know it, she went to the very same school they detested.

"I was wondering if Serena's family was doing anything tonight, they were more than welcome to come to the dinner we're having with some of dad's employers." Dudley responded, though his eyes never left Serena.

"I do not think that is wise." Serena responded, not glancing once in Dudley's direction.

"Hurry up Harry!" Dudley snapped, annoyed that he was ignored, again. "Mom wants this flowerbed to look perfect before the guests arrive and you're to spend the entire time in your room! You don't exist!"

Harry clutched at a particularly stubborn weed, his hand going white around it. Serena reached out and placed her hand on top of his. "I should probably be going." She said out loud, though her eyes were portraying her thoughts to Harry, that he did exist, and he existed for all the right people and that Dudley was an idiot, which he more than agreed with. "Happy Birthday Harry!" She threw her arms around him before she walked back to her house. She'd given him her birthday gift among the letters from his friends, he just didn't know it yet, nor would he for a few more days to come.

Dudley turned around to go back inside now that Serena was gone but he barked one more order. "Finish up now!"

"Say the magic word." Harry muttered, and the weed came out magically easy just as Dudley was gasping for air and sputtering words without logic or understanding. Dudley turned and called for his mother, who snapped at him that he would go without lunch now.

Harry rolled his eyes and his task seemed easier now that Serena had visited and had remembered his birthday, and so too had his friends. He glanced up as he heard a weird noise and almost fell backwards as he noticed large eyes sticking outside the bush. Then they were gone.

Harry finished up his chores and by the time evening had fallen, he'd been sent up to bed with a loaf of bread and firm instructions to make not a single noise, or there'd be punishment. Harry rolled his eyes; it wasn't like he really wanted to interact with his Uncle, family and his guests.

Harry was more excited to see what his friends have sent him. He closed the door and reached for his back pocket, but his hand encountered nothing. He patted his pocket for anything that could be remaining but he found nothing. "Dudley!" He growled, somehow the boy must have pulled out the letters and is keeping it from him. He turned back to the door and opened it to yell at the fat boy, but as soon as the door opened, he heard voices downstairs. Vernon's boss and wife were here, and Harry reluctantly shut the door. He turned back to his room to collapse on his bed, stupid birthday was almost as bad as all the ones he'd had before last year, and partly worse, because he knew he had letters, and he wasn't allowed to read them. Just as he was about to plop down onto the bed, he looked at the body already there. Surprised but not afraid of the small creature Harry narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Dobby sir."

"What are you doing here?"

"Master Harry has not gotten anything from friends." Dobby hopped on the bed.

"I had-"

"They do not care about you." Dobby argued.

"I had letters." Harry countered. "They've disappeared."

"Friends do not care enough to send real letters, only vanishing ones." Dobby argued. "You do not know what they said. They don't wish you happy birthday, they have forgotten. They do not want you."

"Dobby- how do you know that?"

"Know what, Harry Potter?"

"About the letters?"

"Nobody wants Mr. Harry Potter to go back to Hogwarts."

"Serena does-"

"The Dark Lord's daughter?" Dobby shuddered. "She does not care; she is only keeping you close to watch you."

"Dobby that's not true."

"No mail from friends." Dobby repeated. "No Hogwarts."

"I had mail, but they haven't been coming." Harry frowned, how did Dobby know all of this, why did he even care? "What are you?"

"House Elf, Master Harry."

"Who's House Elf?" Harry asked slowly.

"Mr. Malfoy, sir."

"Malfoy?" Harry almost yelled, it was close enough as it was, but at least only Dobby heard him, because the voices downstairs didn't stop or even falter.

"Dobby been bad. Dobby not supposed to be here. Dobby must punish himself." He beat his head against the wall by the bed.

"Wha- Dobby stop!" Harry put his hand in between the two of them and Dobby tried to go after something else. "I'm not mad, stop."

Dobby stopped for the time being. "Don't go to Hogwarts, bad things happen there!"

"Hogwarts is probably the safest place for me." Harry argued. "I _can't_ stay here."

"Harry Potter _must _not go back to Hogwarts." Dobby banged open the door and Harry sprinted after him but he disappeared. The voices stopped and then Vernon's voice covered the silence.

"I will just go check on it." Vernon's foots stopped up the stairs and Vernon's head was just there. "What are you doing? Banging around up here? _Be QUIET!_" Vernon hissed and Harry held up his hands in defeat, Vernon turned and went back down the stairs.

Dobby popped back into existence on Harry's desk. "Dobby!" Harry warned. "What are you doing?"

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

"I've heard this already." Harry grouched.

"Harry Potter has no friends back at Hogwarts, nothing there for him. Should just stay here."

"Why?" Harry insisted. "What makes you say all these things."

"Can… not… say…" Dobby hopped off the desk and started pulling open drawers. "Dobby should not speak ill of the master. Dobby must punish himself!" He slammed the drawers shut on his hands and Harry went towards him but Dobby disappeared again and Harry spun towards the door where Dobby was now opening and shutting the door on his head. Harry ran towards him but Dobby ran down the stairs and sneaked around the corner.

Harry skidded to a halt just as he heard his aunt speaking. "We have a cat. Really we should just put it down, but Dudley loves it."

Harry peaked around the corner as Dudley nodded dolefully. "It will die soon enough as it is."

"Oh, how dreadful." The woman, probably the wife of Vernon's boss.

Harry saw Dobby by the counter, nobody had noticed him yet. "Dobby, come back here." Harry whispered and gestured toward himself, trying to get the elf away from the counter. "Come on." Dobby ignored him and lifted the cake. He snapped his fingers, making it float and Harry watched with fear as it lifted up into the air and above the woman who was the other man's wife. Harry tried to tackle Dobby, but he disappeared before he could reach him. Instead Harry tried to grab the cake and his hands just about closed around it, and he would be able to cart it away for safe keeping when it just as suddenly dropped and landed on the woman's head, making it look like he'd done it intentionally.

"Harry!" Vernon roared as Petunia jumped to her feet.

"I am so sorry!" Petunia began apologizing and pulling on Harry's ear. "This is my nephew, terrible story; he is daft in the head. We keep him away from guests for this express purpose."

Harry stumbled after his very tall aunt and up the stairs. "I will deal with you later!" Vernon had followed them and once he was back in his room, they closed and locked the door.

They went back downstairs to try and deal with the mess Harry had inadvertently made. Something about Dobby's interest in keeping Harry here, didn't sit right with him and the elf had been insistent that Harry's friends had forgotten about him, when he knew that Serena had been in contact with them and that was how he was sometimes currently getting his letters. A few of those disappeared as well, even from Serena's house. The ones he did manage to get were very mundane ones.

The next day saw that Harry was boarded completely into his room. His uncle bought bars and screwed them in himself to be assured that Harry was stuck inside. Harry opened his windows, as they did so inward and through the bars, Vernon punished Harry in the worst way possible. "I'm seeing to it that you _never _go back to that school!"

The door was double locked and he was only allowed out on occasion to use the bathroom and to be handed food.

Whenever Serena would walk towards their house, whether it was in the morning or evening, someone would always cut her off and force her to keep back, so she couldn't talk to Harry. He'd hear them though, and if he didn't want further punishment, he couldn't say much. "Harry's not well dear; it's a little contagious, maybe next week."

It had been the original excuse and every day she would try to get close enough to talk with him but she was kept away. She had managed to throw a rock and it hit his window one day when she wasn't supposed to be out of the house so late at night on her end, but she risked it. He opened the window and tried to talk silently to her through the bars.

"Oh Harry! It must just be awful being stuck in there! Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm afraid not." Harry sighed. "Thank you though for all your help."

Serena had to run as lights were starting to be turned on in the downstairs of his house. Vernon must have fallen asleep on the couch again.

It was about two weeks before school started up again that Harry was woken up to tapping on the window. He opened it to see Ron's face. With an eyebrow lift he didn't have words for a few seconds as he tried to ration out that Ron was floating outside his house. "RON?" He asked on a breath.

"Well come on then, get your trunk." Ron pushed and Harry quickly packed everything up. He set it against the wall near the window. "You might want to stand back." Fred and George hooked a rope around the bars and Harry grabbed Hedwig and moved away from the window quickly as they floored the gas. The bars came flying off and clattered against the sidewalk, the car came back and Harry handed over Hedwig and then shoved the trunk into the back of the car. Vernon came storming in, the door unlocking and slamming against the wall. Harry jumped into the car, barely avoiding his grubby hands.

As they flew towards Ron's house, Harry threw his arms around Ron. "I am so glad to see you!"

"I've sent you so many letters. Only a few have gotten through to Serena, and she's informed me of your predicament with Hedwig, but my own owl seems to have lost its way to you but always returned without a letter."

"I think it's been stolen by a house elf." Harry explained. "How did you know to come?"

"Serena's explained your plight. It took some effort to coordinate your release though; we had to steal the car." Ron's turn to explain was over.

"This car is brilliant. Though not many people are used to seeing a flying car. How did this come about?"

"My father loves all things muggle, and he confiscates anything manipulated that can harm muggles, sometimes there are rare gems he finds with them."

The morning they got back to the house, Molly yelled at the boys as soon as they stepped foot in and then she turned to greet Harry nicely. "Well hello dear, I hope your trip was uneventful. In the morning we were going to go to Diagon Alley."

Ginny came tromping down the stairs and stopped dead at seeing Harry. Then she turned and bolted from the room. "What's the matter with her?" Harry asked Ron.

Ron made a face. "Who knows, she's been going on and on all summer about you, I thought she'd relish a second to talk _to_ you." He shrugged. "Weird girl."

Harry once again pitied the girl for being the only one besides her mother in the entire house that was female. "Well come on then, let's go outside." George slid Harry's chair back. "I bet you've gotten rusty on the broom."

"Rusty?" Harry asked back, amused. "Seeing as how I didn't even know how to fly before last fall, I don't see how that's possible."

"The skills Harry my boy, the skills." Fred ruffled his black hair and the three youngest Weasley boys and Harry headed outside.

The next day was eventful with using the flume and getting the wrong alley, and getting away from it. He just exited the bank with more money and had purchased a fair amount of necessities, longer robes was mainly on his list as he'd shot up another few inches over the summer, the previous ones had barely lasted the year.

With them sent to the Weasley house, he joined up again with them. Hermione and Serena were sitting outside the bookstore. They jumped to their feet and threw their arms around him as soon as he'd seen them. "I'm so glad that you were able to get out, when Ron explained his plan, I thought it was nuts!" Serena spoke quickly.

"I was so worried about you! I mean Serena assured me that you were with Ron and that before that you were at least let outside, but they locked you up like an animal and starved you!" Hermione was just off of Serena's heels with her rushed words. Both were excited to see him, free of listeners. "Come on, you've got to meet my parents!" Hemione pulled Harry into the bookstore, Serena took up the rear.

Already their parents, both sets, or in Serena's case, all three, muggles, and they were talking with Arthur Weasley. They were so involved with their conversation that they didn't bother them with introductions just yet. They instead went to go see what Molly and Ginny were up to. Fred and George were off to the prank store while Percy was talking to other upper classmen, it was his last year and he'd been pinned headboy.

"What's going on?" Serena asked, she'd seen a lot of people go in, but she thought they'd only been getting their school books, a lot of people probably delayed in getting them, like they had and was now a last minute rush. But the year before hadn't been like this.

"Gilderoy Lockhart!" Hermione squealed. "I hadn't realized he'd be here today!"

"He is?" Serena tried to peer over the rest of the crowd, but she couldn't see past anyone on account of her height. She resigned herself to waiting until they got a better look. "That's awesome!"

"Who is this Lockhart?" Harry asked Ron who just appeared at his elbow.

"Some prat that's got all the women in a tizzy. Ginny and mom are waiting in line for a book signing. It's rather disgusting." Ron nudged Harry and pointed towards the man who was at the center of attention. Harry had to admit he was a good looking man at least in a golden boy way. He looked more like he belonged on the shores of Australia, not in sunless England. Though after a few seconds of hearing him talk, both Harry and Ron could discount him as anything other than a total idiot.

Harry turned back towards the girls and was blinded by a flash of light. He shielded his eyes in case another one came his way and when the white spots cleared he saw a boy a year younger holding a camera. "Colin Creevy, I am going to school with you this year!"

The shenanigans of the boys caught Lockhart's attention and his eyes narrowed on Harry's forehead. "Harry Potter? Here?" Lockhart stood up. "Well get him up here!" He pulled Harry over to him and pointed towards another camera, a professional one. Harry was again blinded before he could react and before he knew it, books were being pressed into his arms. "Who are all these people with you?" Lockhart asked, looking at first all the red heads and winked at Molly and Ginny and then winked at Hermione and he stopped on Serena. "You have been in the news recently, I believe, caused quite a stir if I heard right, but nobody knows anything about you for sure."

Harley walked over and rested a hand on Serena's shoulder. "My daughter?" She asked with a blond eyebrow raised. "She causes no issues, especially not in this world."

"Ah… I hear you are something too in the muggle world." But Lockhart had been put in his place, it was not wise to bring up Serena's questionable parentage, with only a very few who knew that it was actually the truth, in such a public domain. "However, I think I would have much to learn from you." He waved them away. "Back to signing!" He didn't force Serena to take photographs with him, though she was probably fairly well-known by now as well, but she also didn't have fifteen years of coverage, as she'd only been brought to attention last year.

Molly took the books and realized that there was a considerable line and that the children did not need to be standing there, taking up more room. "Go along, have your father check out your books and go outside, go on. I'll get these signed for you, Harry dear."

Harley reluctantly stepped away when Serena looked up at her with a reassuring smile. She put a finger in Serena's face. "No more issues."

"It's not like I try to, with Harry around, people are just drawn to him." Serena's lips though could not stay serious and Harley signed and sent them outside, Arthur was calling her back to ask even more questions.

"I cause all your problems then, hmm?" Harry asked once they were free of the masses.

"If it isn't the Weasleys, come to buy the books they'd rather toss into the garbage?" A nasty voice asked to the side. "Is it finally the last Weasley child heading off to school? That would save your parents a lot of money in the future."

"Come now Draco." An older, but still nasty voice chided. "There is a civilized witch among them, Miss Serena." He greeted. "Potter." He eyed the Weasleys, knowing full well who they were. "Buying tattered books?" He snagged the one in Ginny's cauldron. "No wonder your father can't afford nice things, he's such a stain on the wizarding community." Lucius shook his head in disgust. "Went off to have a quidditch team of his own and then tinker and fraternize with muggles." He sneered as he looked through the window at the people who clearly stood out, neither in robes nor typical fashion style, even for the unique ones.

"My parents are talking to him at the moment." Serena stepped forward, she didn't let Draco get by with this kind of talk, she would be damned if she let Malfoy senior do it as well. He wasn't just insulting her parents anyways, he was insulting Hermione's and all that were not present to defend themselves.

"Of course, who would want to soil their good name?" Lucius quickly back-pedaled. "They took you in when the rest of your family could not find you. It was good of them to do so."

"I do not know about that, but yes, they are very good people." Serena pressed, and Lucius even took a step back when he locked eyes with her. "There are many good muggles. Harry's aunt and uncle might not be the best of them, but they at least took him in. I do not know if all wizards would do the same, blood related or not. Hermione's parents have raised her well and they do provide interesting items to study."

"Of course, Serena. I meant you no harm." Lucius seemed to realize he was cowing to a fifteen year old girl, even if it was the Dark Lord's child, she hadn't proven she could harm him yet. So he straightened and called for Draco. "Come, we still have more shopping. If you would care to join us, you are more than welcome, Serena." He purposely directed it only towards her and he returned Ginny's books to her. Nobody noticed that there was an extra one that joined the ones that belonged.

Serena shrugged. "I think I will stick with my friends, but thank you for the offer. See you in class Draco." She continued on a more friendly note, Draco smiled and nodded before following his father away from the rest of them.

Hermione was floored by how Lucius was so different when it came to Serena, and Hermione began to wonder… she had to dig deeper, and she would, once they got back to Hogwarts. "Well, at least they're gone."

"Let's go get a drink." Ron suggested. The rest all agreed heartily with him.

Serena looped her arm with Harry's as they walked to the café. "Did you read your letters?"

Harry sighed. "No, I think they were taken by a house elf. I'll get them back soon, I hope. It seems he might have had a lot of them."

"Hmm… apparently I have missing letters as well. A house elf you say? What is that?"

"I wasn't sure myself at first, but apparently it's some type of servant to a wizard family."

"A house elf?" Ron choked behind them. "Whose was it?"

"Malfoys." Harry shook his head to ward off the comment he was sure was going to come. "But he was trying to warn me of danger and didn't seem to like his family much."

"Who can blame him?" Ron was dry and the rest couldn't help but agree.

Serena's eyes searched his green ones, looking for an answer to a question she hadn't dared to ask. She seemed pleased by what she saw and she untangled herself from him to link arms with Ginny. Harry didn't hear what they talked about, but Ginny seemed to perk up again and he caught her glancing back at him over her shoulder, but quickly away in the same motion when she knew she was spotted.

"Rethinking your feelings for Serena?" Ron whispered when Hermione joined the two girls in front. Harry could only shrug. "Come on, spending an entire summer with only Serena for company is not a poor way to spend time away from school." Ron lifted an eyebrow.

"If you're so keen on her-"

"No, no she's all yours." Ron held up his hands. "Though I still think she's a cutie."

"Thinking differently about Hermione yet?" Harry wiggled his own eyebrows.

"Ugh, no, she's only a friend. Now come on, spending that much time with Serena, just down the street from her… something _had_ to have happened."

"No really, she doesn't see me like that. We're just friends too; I've gotten over anything I _might_ have felt for her past that. Besides, you try making a move on her with three over protected guardians and a meaty cousin also trying to make good in her eyes."

Ron laughed. "I suppose. He didn't, did he?"

"No, she's too smart for that." Harry argued.

"She's not immune to the charms of men though. I saw how all three of those girls swooned over Lockhart." Ron didn't sound too pleased about it, he seemed a little disturbed by the concept. But Harry saw how his eyes weren't on Serena or Ginny, but rather on Hermione.

Harry's lips twitched up pleased that Ron was starting to show his feelings towards the girl, even if he didn't admit it yet. "Come on; let's go join them before all the good food is gone."

EAN: I like Dobby, so please don't have taken that the wrong way. Besides, details have now been changed to suit my story needs. Not much has happened in this part, but we'll get there, won't we? J


	7. Chapter 7

Part 2/7

AN: I wish I remembered some slight details from the book, a lot of what I have for references now are the movies and cliffnotes and my memories. Oh well… means more creativity… or at least I hope…

AN2: I just have to let this be out there, I _HATED_ the second book, almost to the point that I almost gave up on the series, which I'm glad I didn't, because I _LOVED_ the third book. Which makes it all the more funny that the second movie is my favorite of the whole lot that's out so far, and I've watched it twice now in 2 days, and it's probably the 4th or 5th time I've seen it altogether. Even funnier, if you must know, I didn't really like the 3rd movie the 1st time I watched it, but I think I liked it better the 2nd. I haven't seen it yet a third, maybe I will tomorrow… lol…. Then maybe I'll like the movie ok then.

AN3: It has always been my impression that Snape is actually a standup guy. He doesn't like Harry, but that's more because he is his father's son, though he has a lot of Lilly's traits that he tries to ignore. Also he probably isn't a fan of the 'stardom' that Harry has received, though that might be because he wants Harry to keep a clear head and be down to Earth. And although he hated the 4 friends- James, etc.- he has helped them out in many ways and in this chapter/real book/movie, he's concerned about the tree which J.K. Rowling also used as foreshadowing. :) Has anyone else noticed that actual, gasp, care he has for Harry? I don't know if its because he's fighting between his responsibility to him as a teacher at Hogwarts/the fact that he's Lilly's son/need him to destroy Voldermort and his hatred towards Harry and anyone not in his house. Perhaps despite wanting to humiliate Harry at every occasion, he actually is a very decent human underneath it all?

* * *

The day dawned bright and early, even earlier than normal for Ron as Harry came into his room and jumped on his bed. Fred and George right behind him and together the three bounced Ron out of his bed and onto the floor. Ron groaned and tried to fall back asleep, but the other boys wouldn't have it. "Oh come on Ron it's time to get up."

"He's not even _in_ Hogwarts yet, and he's bossing me around. Too bad he's become headboy, his head couldn't handle any more growing." Ron mumbled to the carpet.

Molly called up from the kitchen. "Ron, there's pastries! Freshly baked." George and Fred gave up on Ron and scrambled down the stairs, Ron shot after them, not letting them eat all of his sweets. Percy and Harry shared a look, then slowly headed down the stairs. They were meeting the girls in their compartment. "Ginny dear, how are you feeling? Do you need anything else before we take you all to the train?"

"I'm fine Mummie, really." Ginny pushed away the hands that were in her hair, trying to make it perfect. "I've got almost all of my big brothers along and- oh good morning Harry!" She turned a slight red color before making excuses that she forgot to pack something upstairs.

"That girl!" Molly sounded slightly exasperated and slightly amused and Harry turned to the table of pastries as she shooed him towards them.

The other boys were digging in and scarfing them down, Harry took a roll and bit into it, seeing the pile slowly diminish. He pocketed a second one but took no more and headed back upstairs to pack his school supplies and Hedwing up. Later, following his friend and siblings out the door, they loaded up into the flying car, squashed up next to each other. They drove down long dirt roads and then highways before making into London to the train station. Harry briefly wondered if it would have made more sense to have just driven to Hogwarts with how far away they lived from the station, which consequently was the closest one to the Weasly house.

There was a slight issue with boarding the train for Ron and Harry, who were the last to try to run through it after Ginny and her parents went, to try and get her comfortable on the train before it left. Ginny as the only girl, and youngest of the brood was the most worry-some for her parents, who were now beginning to feel the first strings of an empty nest syndrome.

The issue was that the wall solidified and they couldn't get through in time, and after a few minutes ticked by, where they kept trying, they realized nothing would get through in either direction. So Harry and Ron picked the next best thing, Harry couldn't go home, ever, if he had his way and he had to go to Hogwarts, it was the only thing he really wanted.

With the car in flight and with faulty invisibility, they made it to the campus with hardly a scratch on them, though the same couldn't be said for the angry car after it ran into a whomping willow. "That was mad!" Ron complained as they set their trunks down with the rest of the student's items.

"I wonder why everything went wrong today." Harry rubbed at the back of his head, he probably had a bruise back there.

"What are the two of you doing away from the rest of the students?" A dark voice asked behind them and the boys jumped, turning to the grounds-keeper.

"Eh, sorry, we-"

"I'll take care of this." Professor Snape's voice and shadow appeared just behind the other man. The grounds-keeper muttered and walked off, with his cat, Nora, prancing behind him.

The boys weren't sure which was worse, Snape or the other two. Ron gulped and turned his head towards Harry. "You don't think he'll kick us out, do you?" He was whispering as they walked towards Snape's office.

Though it ended up not being his office he was leading them towards, which he should have known. The door opened to Professor McGonagall's office, though she wasn't currently in it. The boys sat down in front of the desk and Snape leaned against the edge between it and the boys. He laid into them right away.

McGonagall walked in just as he was shouting something about the tree they ran into. "It's been there longer than you've been alive, and unknown damage- not to mention the humans that have seen you!"

"Professor Snape, that is quite enough." McGonagall cut in. "I will discipline them myself." Snape and her shared a long look before he spun on his heel and his robes billowing out behind him as he left the room, clearly not happy.

"We're expelled, aren't we?" Ron groaned, putting his head into his hands.

Harry was braver and watched McGonagall raise an eyebrow. "Oh? What makes you think that, Mr. Weasley? There's no harm, they are going to take care of the muggles and the tree is pretty tough." Ron lifted his head in hope. "Go enjoy the dinner, tomorrow I won't be so lenient on you, so behave." She sent the glance towards both of them and they scrambled to their feet, thanking her as they backed out of the room and headed to join their friends and Ron's family.

Serena and Hermione were the only two sitting together. Ginny was at their table but with some of her year and Percy the same way at the other end of the table. Surprisingly George and Fred were separated as well, each sitting next to a different girl, but only slightly away from one another. Ron and Harry shared a look before joining the girls.

Harry's eyes strayed to a girl down near Ginny. "Don't even think about it." Serena hissed. "She's dating Cedric."

Harry shared a look with Ron, neither knew how Serena knew who he was looking at or why and how did she know so much? "Who's Cedric?" Harry pondered and Serena's lips screwed tight, she wouldn't say more. If he didn't know who went to their school than it wasn't her fault.

"So anyway, Filch let us off to Snape and Snape bowed to McGonagall." Ron turned the subject back to what they were previously talking about.

"You were lucky. The kind of trouble you could have gotten in would have been disastrous had it been any other professor." Hermione was saying in return.

Harry looked at Serena, ignoring the conversation, he already knew all of that. Serena was looking down at the table. He reached across and covered her hand with his. Ron's eyes fastened onto the action, as well as Hermione's, though she went back to ignoring it. "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about-"

Whatever Serena was going to say was cut off by a flash. Both Harry and her were blinded by the bright light. "Wow, both celebrities together! I can't believe you guys are actually friends in real life. I thought it might have just been for publicity." Colin cut them off from their conversation. "Think I could get a picture of you two with Lockehart? It'd be a special picture to get it inside the school grounds."

"Why don't you take more candid photos, Colin?" Harry asked a little annoyed at being interrupted. Serena was slippery to pin down in most cases and having her begin to answer honestly would be impossible to recapture if she was paying closer guard to her words.

"I'm going to head up." Serena got to her feet and swayed slightly, putting her hands on the table to catch herself and she glanced fretfully towards the doors. Everyone close to her straightened and were about to go to her, but she shook her head. "Stood up to fast." She disengaged their worry with the words and a well placed smile. Even Percy settled back into his seat, and he wasn't as close to her as even Ginny and the twins. Serena took off before anyone could say anything else.

"Should we follow her?" Harry questioned, his eyes trailing Serena's path.

Hermione looked like she wanted to as well but she shook her head. "Serena's probably just tired. She wasn't sleeping that well at the Weasley's."

"Really?" Ron looked curious. "Because it wasn't her home?"

"I don't know." Hermione bit her lip, Serena and her were close, but Serena was pretty private about some things. They didn't really do the girl thing and have sleepovers though Hermione had invited Serena. At the time, Serena was expressing concern over Harry's treatment and wanted to stay to monitor it. "We didn't really talk about it."

"It's ok, she doesn't really talk to anyone about some things in her life." Harry rested a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Though she is great at getting information out of other people." His glance slid down to Neville who was with Seamus and a few of their other friends.

Hermione laughed. "She is very good at that." Ron was nodding his agreement.

Serena slid through the doors away from the dinning hall. She looked both ways before heading in the direction opposite from the house quarters. She sprinted the way she needed to go and ran right into Snape's chest. He stabled her and looked down at her with faint surprise and instant suspicion. "Where, Miss Riddle do you think you're going in such a hurry?"

Serena's eyes locked onto his and spoke slowly. "I needed to get something."

His eyes narrowed in return. "Your mind tricks don't work on me. Where have you been learning these? They are not part of the normal course guide. In fact, they're ones I have never seen before." He tried to pry into her mind but was blocked and shoved back.

Serena's lips turned down. "I wasn't trying any mind tricks on you. But just so you know, yours don't work either."

"Back to your house, Miss Riddle." He was calm when speaking with her, none of his usual sarcasm or anger. "You shouldn't be wandering the corridors on your own or so late at night. Someone might think you were up to no good. We wouldn't want to spoil the image you've worked so hard to establish, do we?"

Serena's eyes flashed in anger. "I haven't been attempting to establish anything. I am that way."

"Whatever you say, Miss _Riddle_." He turned her around by her shoulders and pushed her in the way she was going away from. She ducked out from beneath his hands and faced him again. "Do you want me to write you up?" He asked, still calm.

"No. But you have to believe me that I _have _to go this way. I am not up to anything bad and I will be in bed shortly. Please let me go." She pleaded, her blue eyes begging and to her surprise it worked. Snape put his hands down towards his sides and looked at her for a long moment before tilting his head in the direction she wanted.

She thanked him as she continued on her sprint past him. He only hoped he wouldn't regret it. There was something about her magic that confused him. It wasn't anything he'd ever seen before, nothing her father had nor any other wizard or witch. He went back to his office to look it up.

Serena turned a corner and with one last glance around, burst through the doors and onto the grounds, there she disappeared on her next step. This didn't fit into the protection that Dumbledor had on the grounds to keep people in or out.

Hermione came barging into the boy's room, and the older ones groaned, she hadn't outgrown the habit over the summer and the younger ones took offense for a second before they realized that everyone else was used to it. "Serena's not in the girl's chambers!"

Harry and Ron threw on their bedrobes and followed Hermione to the common room, she wasn't there either, which they suspected. Hermione would have seen her on her way to theirs. "She wasn't in any of the beds?" Harry tried to determine, but Hermione explained that Serena's stuff looked untouched.

Serena came in through the portrait, rubbing a towel in her hair. She was yawning as she walked, but wearing her pajamas. She looked up at the three worried faces standing in her way. "Sorry, figured everyone would be using this bathroom after the long trip. So I used one of the other ones."

"We thought you'd be in bed already." Hermione was still calming down from stressing out.

"I thought so too, but then I realized I really needed a shower." Serena grinned, trying to get them to relax. "I would have left you a note if I realized you'd be this worried."

The others finally admitted they overreacted, but after the last few days, things had started to seem weird, not getting through to the platform, cars running away and Dobby getting Harry in trouble and stealing his letters. They just assumed something bad had happened, it wasn't like they had a great track record so far for first nights on Campus.

Serena yawned again and they allowed her to head off to bed, Hermione said she'd be there shortly. But as she walked away, they noticed a limp to her gait that wasn't there earlier. "What do you think she was really up to? I know she takes long showers, but that was ridiculous." Hermione stated. "It would have to have been an hour long, at least."

"Yeah, she wouldn't really have needed to gone down to another bathroom if she took one before everyone else headed up here." Ron confirmed.

"So what could be the connection between her faint dizzy spell earlier and the limp?" Harry completed. Though nobody had an explanation, Serena usually was on the up and up and they had no other choice but to believe her. They had nothing else.

Snape was the only one who cornered Serena on the limp. He asked her to stay the day after. "What was so important that you had to go out and get injured?"

"I can't tell you." Serena responded, looking away. "No use trying to search my memories either." She looked up furiously when he tried. "That's invasion of privacy! AND malpractice, decent wizards aren't allowed to do that."

"Sorry Miss Riddle but if it is dangerous, I needed to know. You are strong in many different ways, aren't you?" He chuckled and shook his head. "You also do a better job of staying out of trouble than your friends. At least under the radar. How is your leg?"

"Hurts." Serena admitted. "I'm not telling you though why I had to go out. I got the injury coming back. I tripped."

That one he laughed outright, and Serena was surprised to see this side of him. "That one I can believe." He shook his head and allowed her to leave. If she didn't get hurt more, he wouldn't stop her or tell anyone else. He would try to see what she was up to, but knew he'd probably fail, it was just a fluke he caught her this time.

Though the gang asked her what Snape had to say to her, she had no response. She refused to tell them anything, between how she got her injury, and his softer side. He was concerned about her, and she knew it, and it had absolutely nothing to do with her parentage.

A few days later Serena fell into the corner of a table and caught herself, going back to walking like she normally did, surprisingly gracefully even after a klutz moment. The limp seemed to be gone.

Serena wasn't with Harry when he heard the voice. He had gotten in trouble for something, after listening to Lockehart and signing the Professor's name a thousand times, he thought he was growing dumber and seemed to have forgotten why he was in trouble in the first place. He heard though whispers that drew his attention. Harry looked up and Lockehart seemed undisturbed. He asked and Lockehart sent him away, thinking the boy was exhausted.

Harry rushed through the halls, running into first Ron then Hermione and asking them if they'd heard the voices either. He followed it, despite their questioning of his sanity and denial of hearing it themselves. They had been in the library, looking something up for him.

His feet encountered the water, slipping in it and making sloshing noises before he noticed it. The other two grounded to a halt behind him and Hermione gasped. There, hanging from a lamp post was Filch's cat. "She's dead!" Filch moaned, coming up behind them and seeing it for himself. He turned on Harry and the others then. "You've done this to her!"

"No sir, we didn't!" Ron argued, and soon the other Professors were on them.

Lockehart not far behind. "Harry was with me, serving out his detention."

Filch still didn't look convinced. "Soon I will have proof."

McGonagall walked up to the cat and shook her head. "Filch, she's not dead. Petrified, yes, though." Dumbledor looked disturbed by this news and Snape turned his attention on the three.

His eyes narrowed. "You seem to be a posse member short. Where is your faithful forth?"

The three shrugged. "Probably in her chambers. She's not _always _with us, she has other friends you know. As we do too." Ron spoke back.

"You shouldn't be out of bed this late." McGonagall turned as well and tried to usher them off. That was when they saw what they had missed before. Written in red were the words. _The Chamber has been opened again._

"What does that mean?" Hermione asked, trying to study it closer but the professors pushed them off, not even in the right direction and they overheard them talking as they walked away. They were very concerned by this news. Filch watched them walk away, thinking of ways to punish them if he ever caught them and allowed to do what he wanted.

Harry shivered at the idea of the punishment Filch had mentioned the year before. "Let's go find Serena, make sure she's all right. Snape is singling her out."

"Got to check on everyone else as well. Wonder what happened to Nora. I don't know of any spells that could do this." Hermione was starting to filter in her memory for anything she knew that could help them with this. By the frown on her lips, she was having problems landing on anything concrete.

Serena was sitting in the middle of the common room with all of Ron's siblings and a few other kids from their year. "Well, that made things easy." Ron stated dryly, even Percy was laughing with Serena about whatever they were talking about. Ginny was curled into the arm rest, her eyes were closed but she was clearly breathing.

Ron nodded his twin brothers towards Ginny and they looked and grinned, but instead of doing something sneaky, which they would do to any of their brothers, Fred only lifted her up to George's arms in a comfortable position and then Fred turned to Hermione and Serena. "Anyone else want a ride up?"

Hermione was snagged and tossed over a shoulder before she could find a seat and the two redheads went up with the girls. They came back down a few minutes later, and Hermione followed not long after, now in her own nightwear and joined Serena on the couch. "You aren't getting another ride up there if you fall asleep on the couch." George waved his finger at Hermione, who probably should have just stayed up there as she yawned as he spoke.

She smiled back at him, clearly caught. "I'll go up soon, before I fall asleep on the couch." She promised.

"There's going to be some news." Ron started. "We found Nora today, and tomorrow it's probably going to be announced to everyone, if not tonight."

"We don't know if some kids got at her or if it was something else." Hermione continued. "Harry was the one that led us to her. It was strange."

Serena's eyes, along with everyone else's swung to him, though hers looked concerned. "I don't know what happened. Then we came across a lot of water."

Serena looked down at her knees, she didn't want anyone to see her eyes, she was a horrible liar. "I think I'll head up to bed. Goodnight everyone."

She hid by the stairs though, there was a space where she couldn't be seen by anyone in any direction and listened in, but Harry soon separated and headed up to bed himself and Serena did what she said she would. Hermione and Ron were still there long after everyone disbanded. She was a little disappointed, but she might not have been so much if she had stayed to listen in on Ron and Hermione's private conversation.

EAN: A little short, I know, but whatever, a lot happened in it, kind of. Maybe. Maybe not. Lol.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 2

Part 3/8

AN: If anyone is confused or annoyed by the short glimpses into Serena's life that is away from Harry's prospective, sorry, but it's a little necessary to develop both sides of this story. It is afterall a cross-over. : ) I feel like I've been hugging too close to the Potter world, but it's only set in it, for the most part.

AN2: There might be glimpses into the future books, it's totally intentional. The next 'chapter' is going to be 2-3 books combined and I need to think it through and cross some of it over into this one as well to make the other two less burdened. Hence Cho and Cedric and in this chapter, Buckbeak and other stuff.

AN3: I haven't been able to figure out exactly how to make the whole Dementors/Looney& Sirius into year 2 or 4 yet. This might change again, I have it partly in my mind to just avoid Year 3 except for bringing Sirius back and a fugitive. It was my favorite book and can't be touched really and even if it could, there's no point to, and really year 3 wasn't that eventful outside of padfoot, looney and wormtail and the dementors and learning how to fight them and the time warp. All of those things can be thrown in throughout the other years or at least in THIS story... I'm going to get a lot of grief for Chapter 3 if things continue the way I want them to go. Because I'm deviating from the script! HAHAHA! I'm allowed to do so as I'm fitting 7 years in 4 and it's a fanfic! I could make Harry's hair green and nobody could REALLY argue if it's well done... right?

AN4: Ok, I figured it out, and you may hate me if you like, but at least I'm keeping some things somewhat organized right? Book 2 is going to be the first half of this year and after Christmas break will be Book 3 except it will be very short, like the way I've handled a lot of the things so far when I don't want to just repeat the books, by making an off handed comment on it, or in passing. It'll work great, just trust me!

* * *

It was a pleasant surprise for all of the Gryffindors to see that Hagrid was in charge of Magical Creatures. However that was short lived after the few lessons, though Harry was glad that they weren't dealing with worms as the lesson plan had been for their entire year with the previous professor. That would have been a very boring and supposedly the basics for all the knowledge they would further need, but Hagrid's creatures were a little... extreme too.

Today though was a nice day for Harry. Hagrid had brought out something very unique, even for his normal lesson plans. "This here is Buckbeak!" Hagrid stated proudly of the four legged bird, or at least that's what first impressions had of the creature.

In truth the animal was a hippogriff. Hermione had the pleasure of introducing the creature's name and what it was well known for. "Very good Hermione." He praised and clasped Hermione on the shoulder. She sagged slightly under the weight of his hand. "I'd reward you points, but I am not sure I am allowed to. So we'll save those points until after I find that out. Now, who wants to ride it?"

Everyone took a step back except for Harry, even Serena was looking away from him when he looked back at his friends and their betrayal. That surprised him more than most, she was usually one to step forward when it came to animals. Hermione and Ron were looking away, and that didn't surprise him, Ron was scared of most of Hagrid's furry friends and Hermione tried not to ride anything that flew.

"I guess I'm volunteering, Professor. Though I didn't know it." He added as an aside towards his friends. The Slytherins with him didn't surprise him one bit either, nor Neville's aversion to trying anything that had a mind of its own.

Hagrid positively beamed when Harry called him that and Hagrid steered Harry closer but Harry's heart calmed when he stopped Harry about six feet away. "You have to take it slow. Never insult them, they're very proud and they get offended easily. Take a bow and wait for him to make the first move, he'll bow back."

Harry bowed and got told to bow lower and Buckbeak reacted negatively, Harry got told to back off and he did as far as he could, and then the Hippogriff finally bowed in response. Harry moved slowly with Hagrid's prompting Harry and Buckbeak came closer, enough that Harry could pet it. "You're a nice animal, aren't you?" Harry mused silently as Buckbeak pushed into his hand.

"Good, now you can ride him." Harry tried to protest but Hagrid always thought the most vicious creatures were friendly and tossed Harry up onto Buckbeak's back and shooed them away.

"Hagrid!" Harry heard through the pounding of his ears as Hermione tried to talk some sense into the newest professor. He'd later learn that Hermione had grabbed Ron's hand and he had returned the squeeze when she worried that Harry would be attacked by the animal earlier. Though they would never tell him that.

Harry was lifted into a full flight by the beast's wings flapping at his legs and Harry held on tight, expecting a bumpy ride, but it was the smoothest thing he'd ever ridden. They soared through the air and Harry had never felt something so cool.

When he returned to the ground, Serena was next to Malfoy, holding onto the fabric of his arm as he stormed towards Harry and Buckbeak. "This dumb animal isn't scary at all. He's probably less dangerous than Fang!"

"Malfoy, stop!" Hagrid was still arguing with Hermione as the blond boy came storming up to the animal Harry was still atop of. He tried to grab Malfoy before he got too close.

He was too late, only a step behind him, and Serena was dragging her feet, still hanging onto his cape when Buckbeak reacted negatively. He reared up, knocking Harry off his back like a frightened horse would and lashed out with his front claws, scratching at Malfoy who turned to shield himself, and what surprised all the onlookers the most, was that he shielded Serena too. Malfoy got only a light scratch, he wasn't close enough to get much more, but he fell to the ground, taking Serena with him, and milked it for all his worth. "Serena! Serena, I'm hurt!" He hugged his arm to his chest and rolled around.

Serena looked torn as Buckbeak still was freaking out, but not moving any closer to them and feeling somewhat grateful and somewhat annoyed at Malfoy, for not only getting himself into this situation but also for faking the extent of his injury. She could clearly see that the scratches didn't even break skin, only making his arm red. "Come on." She put his other arm across her shoulders and helped him walk away from the animal and back towards the treeline.

"Hagrid! He has to go to the hospital!" Hermione stepped forward, taking control of the situation as she always did. Hagrid looked at her gratefully.

"Right, you two, carry him up there while I try to calm him." Goyle and Crabb lifted him, one by the armpits and the other by the legs. The rest of Slytherin followed after him, to ensure he was all right, but the other Gryffindor reluctantly left Hagrid and the foursome and headed back indoors, there was nothing they could do.

Hagrid was standing in front of Buckbeak, keeping him from going towards the students and Serena slid in between them, also saying calming words. Hermione and Ron watched from the sidelines. "Serena!" They yelled as they realized her intention and Serena pushed Hagrid back.

"Go see to Harry, I've got this."

It really should have been the other way around, but Hagrid did as she said and helped Harry to his feet, he was only slightly winded, he wasn't hurt. If he hadn't been in the process of trying to get down, he might have hung on better.

"What is she doing?" Harry asked, concerned for his friend as she stared the animal down. Buckbeak eventually settled to her words and calming gestures, it would have taken Hagrid longer and Buckbeak might have stormed off angry and he would have had to go to look for him to coax him back. Serena had him eating out of her hand, if she had any food, and settling down onto the ground, clearly tired out by it's own adrenaline rush. Serena knelt next to him and Buckbeak rested his head in her lap, lapping up the attention.

"Wow, she is really something with animals. Even I have to build a repartee with them and get them to trust me and I have to understand them. Especially before I introduce them to anyone else. I've never seen anything like it." Then Hagrid started to blubber about Malfoy and Serena and how they both almost got hurt and it was his fault. Buckbeak wasn't safe there anymore. "Malfoy is going to be the end of both of us!"

Harry rested a hand on Hagrid's shoulder, but there was nothing he could say to reassure the half giant, especially when he was pretty sure Hagrid was right. He thought over when Hagrid said, and agreed, Serena was proving herself all the time with these different animals, all outwardly vicious if not handled right, and charming them in an instant. She did it with humans, that wasn't too surprising, but with animals frightened and not even listening to Hagrid was a bit of a stretch though not completely improbable. Though he had seen her skills in Herbology as well, rivaling Neville's, who it turned out, excelled in that department, maybe even doing better than him. Asking something of the plants that weren't usually granted without much time and patience and almost unheard of. Harry was beginning to suspect there was more to Serena than most knew. He was starting to wonder if any knew all of her secrets, or even half.

Harry left Hagrid as Serena started speaking to him. "Don't worry Hagrid, I'll talk to Draco, maybe even Lucius. I'll try to ensure that it never gets to the ministry. Maybe I can convince them it was just an accident not worth pursuing."

"Thank you Serena. That means the world to me, I'd be so grateful if you could intervene with them."

Serena smiled reassuringly at Hagrid before turning her attention back to the Hippogriff and running her fingers through his feathers, totally engrossed again with the animal, as if keeping a special connection only the two of them shared. "How do you do it? How are all these animals so trusting of you?" Harry wasn't too scared of Buckbeak, Hermione and Ron were waiting in the wings until both were safely away from him, but Harry had won his trust and ridden him, so he figured he had some pull with the animal as long as he wasn't insulting.

When Serena spoke again it was soft and inviting and had even Harry's eyes lowering as if it was time to sleep. "I've always been good with animals." She stroked Buckbeak's beak and it made a noise that would be like a cat's purr if there was such a noise for a bird. "Always had a way with things with hearts."

"And the plants?" Harry asked, keeping his voice the same tone as not to interrupt her mood, she seemed transfixed with the animal and he didn't want to jar it, she was sharing and not hiding anything this time.

There was a slow smile that came to her lips, almost wry. Like it was a bittersweet trait, having it was probably a blessing but how she got it was a mixed emotion. "Perks of being married to the Earth Prince." She turned back to Buckbeak as Harry just stared at her, well one thing was for sure, if he wanted answers, just to get her settled down with an upset animal, but also make sure it was in very cautious settings, for the information she shared would be detrimental if it fell into the wrong hands. Serena's head snapped to him and she started freaking out. "No, no, I didn't just tell you that. NO!" She pulled away from Buckbeak, but he was now sleeping and didn't seem to notice his personal sleeping pill was gone. "I didn't mean any of that, it was just a joke!" She laughed, though it was forced and he didn't believe it, though he was still confused by the one sentence she had uttered. "Haha, see? What I said was complete nonsense, not anything to judge anything by. Just don't lock me up in the looney bin, all right? I was just zoning for a moment, anything out of my mouth wouldn't make sense, not that I believe any of it."

"Dost protest too much." Harry calmly stated, he would have this out with her, but he needed her to remain calm, in case Hagrid overheard her or Buckbeak woke because of her distress and Ron and Hermione should be informed. "Come on, the four of us need a chat."

Serena grabbed his arm. "_No_." She stressed, looking at him fearfully. "This has nothing to do with any of you, and the more people to even guess is very dangerous. I swear to you, it's not a secret that you need to unravel to find the truth out about any of this." Serena waved her hand, not just at the forest and Buckbeak, but also towards the others and in the distance was the castle. "Promise me Harry, not a word breathed to _anyone_ about what I said."

"I expect answers." Harry pushed and she sighed and lowered her head in agreement. "Good."

She looked at him slyly. "Now... what about this potion you're brewing up?"

Harry looked around and grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the others and explaining to her their theory about Malfoy.

She shook her head. "I think you've got the wrong person, Malfoy is conniving and deceptive and he isn't the best person in the world, but he wouldn't be trying to kill anyone. If his father opened it before, wouldn't you have known about it? His class was the same as Ron's father's and muggle-borns would be dead and you would know it. I don't think the Malfoys are the ones you need to be looking at. Though they may know something."

"Exactly, so we're brewing up some polyjuice to infultrate Malfoy's dominion and get answers out of him. I still think he's the one that opened it, but we'll know for sure in a month."

Serena nodded along as they explained. Serena had her own thoughts whirling by, she had heard of the chamber opening, but she didn't hear everything. "Madame Pompfrey said she would be mixing up an elixir to cure them of the petrification, though it won't be done until November. In that time, they might need a bigger batch."

"Is that because they need to wait for the mandrakes to grow before they can use it?" Serena questioned and Hermione nodded. "I won't be joining you on this excursion. I don't need to and it would be better if there wasn't four of us hanging around him, pretending to be Slytherin. The three of you will get by easier than if I were to join you, and my amazing coordination. I'd be a dead give away the moment I started walking."

She was being too hard on herself, but they agreed, she might slip up at any time and wouldn't mean to, though Ron was often times too unguarded with his words and reactions, especially towards someone like Malfoy. It was her choice to go along or not, besides they might need her as a cover in another way or an escape. She would gladly help them with that, but the real reason she really did not want to join them was because she didn't want to be pretending she was someone else when she had to get pulled away to go be someone else.

Besides, she liked to be more mobile than to wait around for a potion that would take a month, they would already have enough people impatient as it was. Her eyes flickered to Ron with that assessment. As they walked back towards the Castle, Serena and Hermione were talking. "Have you found a place to mix the potion?"

Hermione glanced behind them at the boys and then nodded. "Myrtle's favorite hangout." Serena and Hermione had a good laugh about that one, the boys were in for a surprise.

"You are devious, I like it!" Serena complimented Hermione, who by far was often times overlooked for her ploys and quick thinking.

"Thank you, I try." Hermione grinned cheekily. "Bet you Ron's the one that gets chewed out first."

"That's not even a fair bet, you've set me up for a loss!" Serena complained. "But just for fun, I'll take that, and then I'll bet that Harry's the one that gets another crush."

"So we've broken even, have we?" Hermione looked put out for a moment before she brightened. "I'll take it, only if it's before Christmas break!"

"I so hope it is. I couldn't stand for this to be continuing for the entire year."

"It's only been the cat." Hermione reassured. "There hasn't been anything else, so we don't really need to worry. It might just be a prank. Some of the students might have gotten at her. I wouldn't put it past the twins-"

Serena shook her head. "No, there's something more, something is very wrong with the school. This is far from over and it's not any of the students. Something is going to be going after students very soon, and I would hate for anyone to get caught in it." Hermione grabbed Serena's hand, which was ice cold, in reassurance and tried to warm her up once she got over the shock of Serena's misgivings. They were so similar to Harry's and Hermione began to wonder if the two of them were sensitive to something that no one else seemed to be.

True to Serena's foreboding, something woke Harry up that night, the voice was on the move again and he snuck out of the boy's room and entered the common room just as Serena was pulling on a robe over her pajamas and heading towards the portrait as well. He had his cloak tucked over his arm and the two caught each other in surprise. "Where were you going?" Harry demanded first before Serena could fire the same question at him.

"Bathroom. Where were you going?" She shot back.

"Uh-" He couldn't very well use the same excuse could he? "The same place." So he followed Serena to the lavatories that were commonly used by Gryffindors and split off to use the mens while she went to the womens. He threw the cape on and snuck back out the doors and headed away, wanting to be back before he figured Serena would be done, or at least sneak in when she wasn't paying attention. It took him longer to search for the voice that he could not find than he anticipated and when he returned, Serena wasn't waiting for him, probably figuring he'd gone up before her if he wasn't waiting and it was long enough that it probably was true, even if she waited a few moments or checked out the bathroom.

Harry was tempted to use the cloak and go up to the girl's dorm to just check to make sure she'd gotten up there all right and wasn't the victim, but he refrained, he might disturb something and get caught and have the entire female population angry with him and maybe a good portion of the male. Especially if they found out how he spied on them and why he didn't share. He'd confront her tomorrow during their free time on what he'd learned today and make sure she was all right.

The next day she was tricky to pin down, but he was expecting that and watched her enter a room he knew was deserted and followed her in, closing the door silently behind him. "Serena, we need to talk."

She spun quickly, almost a little scared and she started to relax slightly at noticing him. "Ok, I have my own questions for you, but what was it that you wanted to talk about?" She played purposely ignorant, he decided and he straightened away from the door.

"The fact that you're married!" He hissed.

"Oh, that."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought being married at fifteen was illegal in almost every country, not to mention the fact that you're a British citizen. You are, aren't you? You don't actually belong to some tucked away country that believes in marriage at ten, right?"

"No, I am from Britain, born and bred. We've been over this. Harley's from America. The only one to be from someplace other than here. You know who my real father is too." She looked at him, waiting for him to argue any of those points.

"I know that, but your adoptive parents move around a lot, I though maybe they'd take you someplace a little less Britain."

Serena leaned against a desk. "I would wish for you to get on with it, Draco is coming to meet me at any moment and this is not something I wish to share with him, any of it."

"He doesn't even know? I was beginning to think he was your boyfriend or something." Harry walked closer, so close that he was sitting on the edge of the desk across from her.

Serena lifted a brow. "I told you, I'm married."

"Yes, and I would wish to learn more about that. As far as I know, the wizarding world frowns upon illegal ages marrying as well. So Draco could be out, unless it was sanctioned by your parents."

Serena almost gagged at the image. "I don't think so Harry." She bit out. "That isn't likely to happen. First of all, I don't like Draco that way, and I don't think the feelings returned are that way either."

"He follows you around, invites you to sit with him, and all sorts of other things. If he isn't trying to get close to you for that reason, I wouldn't know why he would even bother associating with someone outside his house."

"I am the dark lord's daughter Harry." Serena leaned towards him, fire burning in her eyes. "Perhaps he wants to get on his good side if he were to return. Or, become his son-in-law, but that would be near impossible. He's told me recently that we are already bonded in a way that is unbreakable, we are related in blood." Or at least as far as blood relation could take them in this life, she doubted she'd be a good match for him if he ever needed a donor in anything, including blood. Hell even the dark lord's blood might flow in her veins but she wondered if she even had the same blood type, last she knew, she was O-. Universal donor, what a laugh.

Harry's head came closer towards hers, as his own anger radiated from him. "_What_?"

"Blood relation." Serena clarified, in case he was just being slow today. "I am the product of all your enemies. Want to rethink your proposal of friendship?"

"You're not related to Snape." Their eyes locked and Serena started laughing as his comment did what it was supposed to, break the tension. "When that happens, I might disown you and begin to seriously wonder what you're doing in my house."

A smile broke across Serena's face. "He would probably be my favorite relation."

"Just think of it, Serena Riddle, daughter of Voldermort, cousin of Malfoys, niece of Snape!"

"The three worst families in history joined together to produce me. Well that much evil has to come crashing down together and implode, leaving the absence of evil, and only good to fill in that missing space." Serena winked and Harry laughed.

"I could believe that one, it isn't a stretch of the imagination there."

"You flatter me, Harry Potter. Especially because it was only 2 evil families."

"Now, really, you have to tell me about this marriage. It's been driving me nuts all day." That and the weird voice saying it was ready to kill last night. Though he didn't hear anything about it actually doing so.

Serena sighed, put out and settled back onto the desk she was leaning against. "It happened before I was even born."

"An arranged marriage?" Harry questioned and she shook her head negatively.

"No, I was in love with him. Do you believe in reincarnation, Harry?"

"The Buddhist do, but even they believe that the only things you should be held accountable in your last life is represented in the form you're given in the next. If you did something bad, you should be a beetle now or something. Or at least until you do right by that life and work your way up. But even so, you shouldn't have been married if that were the case and you shouldn't have to remain married to the same man."

"Well, my story is similar, but not like that. Reincarnation means you change forms with each new life, I've only lived one other time. I died when I was sixteen and we had just married. My form is the same, just a few small things are different. I wasn't a witch back then for one, and secondly my family tree has changed and who I've grown up with."

"But that would change no matter what happened unless you were in a bubble and surrounded by those you used to be with, had they been, what?"

"Reborn." Serena supplied.

"Reborn in this life time as well at the same time that they were then. That would mean from your friends all the way up to your grandparents or so."

Serena frowned at his assessment. "You Harry Potter are a very smart boy. I do believe some have been reborn as well, but in this case, the location and familiarity I have with others have changed. I think that means my personality has changed a little as well in result."

"I like this personality."

"I do too. The other one was stuck up."

"So then who did you really see in the mirror if it shows neither knowledge nor truth?"

"But our heart's desires." Serena finished for him and put her hands on the desk behind her, leaning back further. It was a nice sight for Harry but he forced his eyes to look away, she hadn't realized she was doing so. She sighed in thought. "It is true that I saw my family. Not my parents that you've met, nor the birth ones here, or even my mother of the time past. I never knew my father then either. He died before I was born. I saw my husband. It doesn't mean though that I desire him, which I don't, I don't want anything to do with him, really. I guess my heart's desire at the moment was to see the man that I was tied so closely to. I hadn't seen him before, not even in the fragmented memories I have of that time."

"You don't desire your husband?" Harry moved seats so he was right next to her and brushed her hair back over her shoulder.

Serena looked at him, not knowing how to answer. "I don't not that way. I've never even met him. How could I desire someone who until last year, I hadn't even seen a picture of, and now, not know anything of him, except for what my past self had decided when she was so young? I've always wanted to be free of this and experiment and decide on my own."

"Really? You would date other boys? What happens when you meet this man?"

"Give whoever I didn't love up." Harry's head was getting closer to hers and her voice started to get softer.

"That's reasonable." Harry put a hand to her chin and tilted her head slightly, and her eyes lidded. "You know, you have two very appropriate specimens to experiment with, who've always liked you in return."

"If you're talking about you and Ron, Ron's too temperamental, he gets angry and has fits at everyone, not always for any sane reason. And you... you live down the street, you are in my house, my parents like you-"

"Not all of them, but isn't that a perk?" He hitched a smile onto his lips and she returned it.

"I suppose it could be." Both were getting breathless as they talked. "But we're friends Harry, and there's someone better suited for you, someone you will love more than any passing infatuation you have with me. You're just too scared to look at her that way."

"I'm looking at her that way. If anyone should scare me, it should be the decedent of the worst wizard the world has ever seen."

"Should, but isn't the case, sometimes it's the ones that are closer to you, that are scarier." She let him kiss her, enjoyed it, because true to her word, she did want to be sure that just blindly following the demands on her because of duty had something to back it up with. This was one truth she had been ignoring for too long, and it just confirmed it to her and she pulled away. "We can't Harry."

"Because of your husband?"

"No." Serena lied, not looking up and not willing to tell him where her thoughts actually went to. For one moment, being back here, she actually wanted to go see that mirror again. She had never had the desire to do so, not even after the first time he'd shown her, her heart's desires. Serena hoped she could look into it and see something different. Because until that moment, she hadn't even realized that it was what she wanted, she had even fooled herself into believing the opposite.

Now she knew the truth, she felt nothing for Harry other than friendship, maybe it would grow more into a sibling relationship, but she couldn't tell the future. Though she wished with all of her heart, that it could have been Harry looking back at her in the mirror, it would have made her life a lot more simple, and understandable. Maybe even having him be the Earth Prince.

She felt awful for even this one slip up, for this one instance of betrayal, not just towards the missing prince, but also because of the girl that was madly in love with Harry. How could she do that to a friend, and know it too? Reassure her that it wasn't anything and then expect the other girl to just deal with it, if something had come from this encounter? No, Serena was reassured with that small kiss that there was really nothing to her feelings towards Harry except maybe a kindred spirit and that wasn't enough to base anything other than friendship on.

Harry was silent for a long time and Serena peaked up at him, he looked like he was pondering something. "I'm sorry, Harry. I can't see us working out for a moment."

"That's all right." He grinned at her. "I wasn't sure myself and now we've put this to rest and we can move on, assured that we're not meant to be, in the slightest! He seemed a little cheery. "Now explain to me this bit about the Earth Prince?"

Serena groaned and dropped her head to his chest. "You are insistent."

"That I am. What does it mean? He can control the Earth? He's the Prince of all the Earth or is this just some silly nickname because he does well with plants?"

"And animals. I do well with animals, I calm them, they trust me, but if they're angry or on the aggression ready to attack, he gets them to back down and go away. We were always similar in that regard."

"I thought your memories were spotty at best."

"They are, but the traits he'd impressed onto me I can see clearly, or at least more clearly. I bet he could do a lot more than I can with plants. He could probably be filtering through the memory of each plant that's ever lived looking for me or something he's lost. Make them grow faster, bigger, stronger. I don't know exactly. All I know is I used to be horrible with plants, anything I'd touch would wither and die."

"Impressed?"

"Our being married, caused some type of imprinting on one another. Nothing major, just special skills that we'd find helpful in day to day lives that the other hadn't had before. Me being able to do well with plants, my skills with animals hadn't really changed, but that wasn't necessarily an ability to communicate with them, I hadn't been able to, I think it was more my general demeanor that reached them. I haven't noticed anything else."

"What did you impress upon him?"

"I wouldn't know. We weren't married long, only part of the day before we were killed. It wasn't enough time to learn all of the abilities we'd shared with one another, but I didn't have very many and I don't think he did either. I've already told you the most interesting of them. The rest aren't even really abilities. I don't know what would have happened if we were fully husband and wife, and not just a legal binding and the love we shared."

"Wouldn't that be a loophole you could exploit if you did find love with someone else?"

"It may be, but our marriage contract continues into this lifetime as well. I might use it but I doubt anyone would care. About the only time I'd probably be let off the hook was if he was a big enough jerk and I made a big enough stink about it."

"So you're just going to fall into his arms the moment you see him on the street?" Serena snorted, but she didn't know what she'd really do if the situation arrived. "Seriously, you'd just conform to a marriage that was rushed back then, and now doesn't seem right to you?"

Serena shrugged as she pulled away from him a little. "I don't know, if my mixed feelings are anything to go by, maybe. You have to understand that the feelings my past self had for him are still there, were always lurking under the surface until I saw him in the mirror, and then they just ran rampant. I was scared of them at first and then I was too logical for them, it didn't make any sense to feel that way about someone I hadn't met in this lifetime." She turned calculating eyes towards him. "Satisfied? I've explained the comment you got me to make without paying attention."

"Not really, you've avoided one question and you've lied to me about another answer."

"I have not!" She sounded offended.

"Yes, you have!" Harry held out his arm and Serena looked at him dubiously, but she was saved from further inquiry as Malfoy entered the room and she stood up away from Harry.

"Am I interrupting anything? Potter, what are you doing here? Harassing again?"

"If anyone is guilty of harassment-"

"It's ok Harry, I told you, I was meeting him here."

Harry grumbled and bumped shoulders with Malfoy as they walked passed each other switching positions and Harry left the room. "What was all that about?"

"He was asking about another matter." Serena brushed off, and luckily it was the truth because she was generally a horrible liar, but she'd managed to keep the information of her husband from a past life a secret, so maybe her lying skills only were tested on things she had to answer to. If no one asked, she didn't have to lie.

He knew she'd lied to him too, but he respected her wishes, for he knew it was probably best that they remained friends. He saw it now too, saw that a relationship would not work between them because they were too similar and too different for anything other than friendship.

Harry found Ron first, with a group of boys and he joined them. They started making jokes and had a riot of a time. Even as they attended their next class. It was an effort to keep in line though as Snape was their next teacher and they'd all have detention.

Malfoy and Serena entered the room silently and sat near one another and Snape didn't even glance at them and continued talking as they were working on a potion. Serena's blew up in her face just as most of the class's had and Snape didn't comment. Nobody else seemed to notice their presence either, just continuing to work diligently on their concoction. Hermione had appeared out of nowhere too and Snape didn't bother her as well. Harry frowned towards Ron, but he seemed oblivious.

"I still can't get over the fact that Snape doesn't care when Serena and Malfoy are late." Hermione was commenting on their way to the next class.

"You were too." Ron inserted.

"But he knew I would be." Hermione argued. "So it would have been taken up with the other professors if he'd punished me, but they didn't have an excuse."

"Maybe he knew they'd be late too, maybe they told him before class or something." Ron continued.

"But-"

"Let it go Hermione, Snape's got his favorites. We're just lucky Serena's one of them. Besides they were together before class, discussing something of importance."

"You know, she could be warning Malfoy of our plan. Just putting it out there, not that I actually think she would."

Ron had already said everything they would need to say on the matter. "What exactly do you think she's hiding?"

"And the relationship between those two?"

Harry couldn't respond, he had promised Serena her secret would be safe with him, even with these two, he'd keep it from them. Unless it caused great danger to the student body, but he didn't tell her that part. But he was wondering what else she was hiding... she never did answer what the comment about Earth Prince was all about... and the other abilities she was hiding from him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 2

Part 4/9

* * *

AN: So I know some of you are going to hate me for the kiss in the last section. However I thought it was necessary for you guys to see that I acknowledged the tensions and interest that would come from such a situation and have tried to rest your fears aside in that they'll never be together like that. I could have just left it as friends, good close friends, but JKR did that with Harry and Hermione and nobody is satisfied with how she handled the move to interest to Ron and Ginny. I hope I do better. Or at least more believable in your eyes. We've already got a subtle thing going on with Harry, I hope you noticed it... But if you haven't, there will be more in the future.

* * *

It was sad when Ron was the one to notice that there was a new type of avoidance going on between Harry and Serena, they had thought that they had worked it out, but now they were hyper aware of trying to keep things in the friends category and probably could have just gone back to being themselves and things would have worked out.

"Are you two ok?" Ron questioned, sinking in to the five foot space on the couch between them. "Because this has been going on long enough. You talk to one another, but its always at other ends of the table or couch or room.

Harry supposed that they normally were within brushing distance and now always had someone between them. "No its fine Ron, I guess I just stink or something."

"Yeah, its his newest aftershave. It makes me sick." Serena teased going along with him.

Ginny plopped down next to Harry and took a sniff. "I don't know, I kind of like it. It's very fitting for you Harry. Strong but sweet."

Serena's lips quirked up at the compliment and Harry was oblivious of her statement, he really didn't listen, did he? "That's just the problem then, I guess I like it light but manly."

"Are you saying I'm not manly?" Harry turned his attention to Serena, clearly annoyed at the reference.

"I'm saying that yours is too strong, I like something more subtle, and yes, you're far from manly."

"I don't think that way." Ginny interrupted.

"Shh, Ginny, this is an argument showing they're back to normal." Ron stood up and pulled Ginny out of the room.

Harry looked after them somewhat saddened. "He didn't need to take her away. I was enjoying someone appreciating my presence."

"What about her?" Serena asked lightly.

"I like her presence too." Harry replied without thinking. At Serena's smirk, he caught himself. "What? She's a nice girl!"

"I know, she's my favorite of all the Weasleys."

"Don't let Ron hear you say that, he might not like you anymore."

"Must be Tuesday." Serena teased. "Up for a game?"

"Sure. Hermione should be back at anytime, maybe she'll join us."

"That sounds wonderful." Serena and Harry started playing one of the games sitting out.

Hermione joined them shortly after, waiting for their game to finish before joining in on the next, Ron and Ginny came back not too long afterwards and joined them as well, hoping that whatever rift was between them had been resolved.

Harry kept looking at Ginny, she looked tired to the rest of them, perhaps it was harder for her this year than it was for them last year. They had each other, and he wasn't sure if Ginny had found friends yet like he had. It just made things easier when you had friends to bounce ideas off of. "Why don't you head up to bed, Ginny? You won't be missing anything."

Ginny spasmed slightly at being addressed. "Uh, I guess. I am awfully tired."

Harry stood as she left and when she disappeared from view, he returned to his seat.

Despite all the invites the following few nights, even personal ones from Harry, Ginny didn't join them again for any other night-time common room gatherings.

Harry's attention though soon turned to other pressing matters, like the next Quidditch game against Slytherin. The game was eventful to say the least, Malfoy got knocked off his high priced broom. Even with the fastest technology, if you didn't know how to handle it right or let it out to its max speed, then a slower model can easily surpass you. Harry knew how to handle his broom, older, slower model and all. He managed to catch the snitch that had been taunting Malfoy by flittering around his head unnoticed, avoided beams and bludgers alike, except for the one that hit his arm and then after he caught the snitch, feared he would still be pounded to death by the be-jinked ball. However he was lucky enough to be saved after it tried to kill him the entire game and after injury.

Harry probably would have been healed in a jiff had it not been for dear old Lockehart, the man was a genius, causing Harry to lose all the bones in his arm instead of it just being broken. Now he was writhering in bed as the bones slowly grew back, forging their way through the muscles in his arm and reconnecting to them via ligaments.

He had finally gotten to sleep when he heard a noise. Dobby was sitting on the table besides his bed, with the flowers and candies he had gotten from his friends. "What are you doing here?" Harry hissed, even though he was the only one in the hospital, he remained quiet.

"Dobby had to see Mr. Potter, sir. Dobby had to warn Harry Potter that bad things happen here. Very bad things."

"Dobby, what bad things?"

"Terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts, Harry Potter must not stay here now that history is about to repeat itself."

"Dobby, stop speaking in riddles!"

"Dobby tried to keep Harry Potter away, sir, he tried and had to iron his hands. You should leave sir, while you still have the chance."

"That was you? You locked us out of the train station! You caused the invisibility device to fail on the car and ran us into the whomping willow, trying to kick me out of the school! You were the one that sent the bludger after me!" Harry grabbed Dobby by the rags he wore and lifted him off the table, it was a little awkward with one hand, but Dobby wasn't that heavy. "Look what's happened to me!"

"Dobby had to sir, Harry Potter, mustn't be here!"

"Why should I believe you? You're not allowed to use magic without your master's acceptance."

"Dobby can sir, Dobby must punish himself for doing so. Dobby must again after tonight, and every time he's interfered. Harry Potter's life is more important than Dobby sir."

"More important? Some of those stunts you've pulled have almost killed me!"

"Almost, but didn't. Dobby had hoped to scare you away. It isn't as bad as what will happen to Harry Potter if he stays, sir. Dobby can't say much more, except Harry Potter _must_ leave, the bad one wants him. Harry Potter must remain safe, Hogwarts isn't. Dobby only wants Harry Potter to be safe."

"Dobby!" Harry shook him. "What are you saying!" The Elf's large green eyes were trying to pass on some message to Harry that he couldn't say out loud. In the end he gave up, Harry's own green eyes were uncomprehending.

Dobby looked away from him. "Harry Potter in grave danger." They heard a noise by the door and Dobby disappeared, the fabric fading from Harry's hand into empty air.

Harry thought people couldn't transport themselves in like that into Hogwarts, thought that any type of appearance had to be brought in by a physical source, and not every broom rider could do so either. Harry didn't have time to question it too closely though as he slipped into bed and closed his eyes, but trying to keep his ears as open as he could.

The headmaster and McGonagall as well as the nurse on duty talked in low tones, trying to not awaken him and they might have succeeded had Harry not been already awake. "Petrified like Mrs. Norris?"

"I'm afraid so Minerva." Dumbledore agreed.

"Perhaps he has taken a picture of his attacker." McGonagall pointed out and Harry peaked an eye open to see that it was Colin, frozen in a state as if he had just gotten the biggest gossip yet and wanted to document it. Dumbledore removed the camera from his hands and opened the back, but it burnt up in a puff of smoke and McGonagall started stressing more so. "What could this mean?"

"It means, Minerva, that our worst fears have been realized. It isn't any kids causing this, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. I'm afraid Hogwarts is not safe anymore. Our students are in grave danger."

"What can we do?"

"I do not know. We must wait for the tonic for these that have already been petrified, and watch out for any other incidences. We may have to close down the school. I will not stand for a repeat of what happened last time the chamber had been opened."

"Surely it won't get to that point."

"It just may. We have more muggle born children here than we have ever had in the past."

There was silence for a moment before they shuffled away. Harry pulled himself out of bed and walked over to Colin and touched his hand, it was still warm, and it probably would remain that way. "I can't believe you were a victim. I'm sorry. I hope you get well soon." Harry heard more noises, probably just Madame Pompfrey coming to check on him and so he slipped back into bed, falling asleep a little restlessly, but managing it.

The next day his arm was almost as good as new, if it wasn't for the slight pulling feeling every time he used it. He would _have_ to thank Lockhart for his kind gesture, especially when he has asked for anyone other than that man to help him. Perhaps that was what had spawned him on, perhaps the whole thing was intentional, misleading people to believe he wasn't a great wizard and proving them wrong when the time called for it, but then flouting his achievements in the same breath, did lend more weight to the idea that Lockhart was just a fraud.

A sham to be ignored or locked up, depending on how much he hurt those around him. Harry wouldn't mind locking him up, as his name suggested. The man was a- "He's such a menace!" Ron interrupted Harry's flow of thoughts at lunch. Everyone was looking at Ron. "That Lockhart, he's a complete lunatic! Not only for what he's done to Harry but everything since he's gotten here has been absolutely bonkers."

"Come on Ron-" Hermione tried to defend but she knew better, knew it since the first day of class when he'd ducked under the table and she'd handled the pixies.

"He-" Serena made a face as if it hurt to try to even think of words to reprieve the man they'd all thought was gorgeous only a few months ago with what they knew of him. Not even she could find a good word for him.

"I think he's smashing." A girl sank down into a chair near them and sighed. The group all gave her a weird look, as if she was insane. She sighed again dramatically as if she was staring at him dreamily. Someone coughed and she looked startled. "What? Am I not allowed to sit here?"

"We were mostly curious as to whom you were talking about."

"Percy." She sighed again, looking down the table to their resident Head-boy.

Ron grumbled. "Women! There's absolutely no accounting for taste!"

"I resent that,_ you _have absolutely no taste. Men go after everything that jiggles when walking." Hermione argued in a mood.

"Not _everything_." Fred inserted and George wriggled his eyebrows.

"Boys!"

"Come on Hermione, you know them better than that. Boy's are just idiots, but they have finer details too." Serena teased her friend and Hermione's shoulders sagged in acceptance.

"You've got a special boy?" Ron questioned trying to irritate Serena into an answer by playing with her ear. She swatted him away.

"Do you see me with anyone?" Though her eyes strayed to Harry, but not for the reason a soon gloating Ron was pointing out, after catching the glance. Harry shook his head no, that he hadn't told Ron and to Ron that it wasn't what he thought.

"We never see you holding hands or anything!"

"I hear that's something you've been doing recently."

"Have not!" Ron defended but the attention was taken off of Serena. 'Nicely done.' She whispered towards Harry who winked back. Ron spent the next few minutes defending his honor against his brothers and Serena rolled her eyes at the two across from her. Hermione and Harry shared her secret mirth at Ron's predicament.

"Come on, we have Herbology with Hufflepuff." Hermione prodded them along, and sat through the entire class with them start to finish. Ron turned to find Hermione before Potions and say something to her, but couldn't find her in the hallway.

Ron looked at Serena curiously who only shrugged. A few minutes into class however, Hermione was sitting right next to Serena and were whispering together. "Where-"

"PAY ATTENTION." Ron got smacked up the backside of his head by Snape. "Otherwise your cauldron will boil over and we will have a mess on our hands. It might affect the other students work."

Ron turned back to his potion while he heard snickering from the Slytherin. He muttered to himself as he worked. Hermione wasn't looking at all tired, especially not compared to Ginny who they saw sneaking off down the hall after class, having come from a room that had to pass the dungeon to get where she was going.

Serena's eyes trailed the red headed girl with faint concern and Harry looked after her as well, really being the only girl in that large family must be tiring, or very sweet, as all of her older brothers looked out for her. All of them very strong wizards or great fighters, as even Arthur demonstrated on another run in they'd had with Lucius and Ron's tendency to cast spells when provoked, most of them misfiring, but Harry wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of the stick when one of them actually worked. "Something isn't right." Serena whispered and Hermione and Harry both nodded their agreements. Ron was just happy his sister was finally being quiet, it was a nice change for him, though he too worried about the circles under her eyes.

* * *

Harry found Ginny asleep by the fireplace, he pulled out one of the lounge blankets and covered her up. She woke slightly and grabbed his hand. "Hey, all right?" He asked gently, pulling the blanket higher. She felt cold and she shook her head slightly. "What can I get for you?"

"Can you just sit, here?" She asked clearly still half-asleep and he nodded, sinking into the couch next to her and propping his feet up onto one of the unique looking tables in the room. He rested his arm along side the back of the couch and she turned into him and fell back asleep. Ron was already upstairs snoring away and Hermione was working on the Polyjuice potion. The other Weasley boys were either in the library or up to no good elsewhere in the castle. Seamus and Neville were silently playing wizard's chest or at least as silent as that went in the far corner and other students were talking quietly, studying or drinking tea by the fire before slowly disengaging from the group and heading up to their own year and gender's dormitory. Serena thought she was sneaking in when she slipped through the crack the Fat Lady had allowed for her, too tired to even bother opening up past what Serena's form allowed. Unfortunately for her, that was quite slim, it might have been easier had she followed in one of the bigger students.

She tripped slightly on the rug before catching herself and glancing to see if anyone saw her. Harry was half asleep himself, the reassuring weight of Ginny on his chest allowing him to relax and the heat from the fire did the rest. He only vaguely understood seeing Serena standing there, partly in the shadows looking at him with a goofy grin on her face before heading upstairs as well.

At some point in the night, Ginny must have either walked herself upstairs or was carried up, Harry liked to believe the latter, because if she'd woken up enough to leave him, he wanted to believe she would have woken him up to get him up to his own bed as well. However he was alone and lying along the full length of the couch. He thought for one wild, crazy sleep-fogged second he squashed her to get into this position, but a blanket was covering him as well and he realized what he was thinking was lunacy. He pulled himself off the couch and wandered up to the bed waiting for him and he sank down onto it, falling instantly back to sleep.

* * *

The next few days went by rather quickly and then it was Friday and Lockhart thought he had a treat for everyone. All the houses gathered for a special Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Snape was the only other professor in attendance as his was the other class generally scheduled for this time as well. The other teachers were off having a break, or rather it might have been a time they could gossip about Lockhart in peace or avoid him fully, Harry could only speculate as he too tried to avoid the man who constantly thought Harry was craving the limelight and arranging things to make it so. Then again, they were probably teaching some of the other six years their particular field of expertise, but Harry could only dream of what he would be doing now when Lockhart and Snape were fully occupied and he could run free.

In theory this was great. The fact it was held on a Friday, that was up for discussion. However missing out on DADA and Potions, wonderful, especially for Harry, who could just fade into the large Second Year crowd. Not to be called upon by either teacher unless they were feeling malicious and not just because they could see him. He would work very hard to make sure he wasn't seen.

He was managing it too, as Lockhart did a quick scan of the crowd and did not call out to Harry at all. "Now, we will first demonstrate a simple disarming spell. Snape has kindly agreed to be my example." Harry was torn between cheering when Lockhart's plan blew up in his face or to boo because it was Snape who had done it. Snape performed the steps and turn as planned but before Lockhart could even say one word, Snape was already finished with his encantation and Lockhart's wand flew into a group of girls. "Well, see we've planned this to show you, you can never be too careful of your opponents."

"Indeed." Snape was clearly bored with this exercise and walked down the platform and off the stage. Lockhart tried fretfully to get his wand back but the girls weren't making it too easy. They still thought him charming, but they weren't particularly bright either.

"Now if we could have two student volunteers?" Lockhart questioned, looking into the crowd of no takers. "Let's see, Serena Riddle."

The crowd already quiet turned deathly so. No one had ever actually _seen_ Serena do magic. Sure they saw her with the things that couldn't hurt them, but not a wand and dueling another wizard. This was dangerous territory Lockhart was bringing any opposing student.

"May I pick the other?" Snape cut in. Lockhart nodded, realizing he'd done something wrong and pleased someone else was going to handle the cleanup. Harry squeezed his eyes tightly shut, hoping Snape wouldn't pick him, Malfoy, Ron or Hermione. Any of those choices would set off the room. Perhaps any muggle born would. "Neville."

The room broke into chatter anyways and the two slowly came onto the stage. Serena came close to Neville and raised her wand straight up like she should and smiled reassuringly at him. Her father sent his best witch after Neville's parents, him too, and now he was dueling her. But he liked her, anyone who actually spent a moment to talk to her did. Neville smiled back, not fully confident and then she winked before she turned and walked the amount of paces she was supposed to. She turned back slowly and didn't even bother to utter a word before Neville turned to face her again and already started his incantation.

"Expell-" She never finished as her wand disappeared out of her hand and landed several feet back. She bowed to him and went to retrieve her wand, jumping off stage and joining the crowd again. Neville got a clasp on the back from Lockhart before he joined the crowd as well. Seamus sent her disbelieving glances, a lot of people actually did, she forfeited the match and let herself be disarmed by a boy who was so accident prone and forgetful, that everyone doubted he'd even remember the spell and if he did remember anything, it might have been the wrong spell and might have hurt her if she didn't even bother to defend herself. Again no one had actually seen her do magic.

Snape wasn't looking too pleased either and Malfoy was itching to get up there and challenge Neville and defend his cousin's honor. Snape raised a hand to ward him off. "If I may, Lockhart, suggest someone from my own house?" Lockhart had given Snape practically free reign now that he'd been cut down twice already tonight. "Malfoy should have a chance." Snape scanned the crowd for a suitable opponent. Ron and Hermione had raised their hands but Snape ignored them. "Harry Potter."

Harry knew Draco was supposed to be showing nothing but fondness towards Harry, on his father's orders and cousin's desires, but the boy still had it out for him, and it seemed, so too did Snape. Harry was feeling better so didn't think this would be much of a challenge.

However Draco attacked while Harry's back was turned, Hermione's voice had warned him in time to turn and block it. Lockhart was in a snit about attacking like that, but Harry and Malfoy weren't listening. They were blasting each other with spells and then Malfoy pulled one out that nobody expected but should have as it was the symbol of their house. An asp appeared on the platform between them, hissing and poised. Lockhart pushed his way forward. "I've got this." Harry tried to stop him but it was too late. Instead of getting rid of the snake, it only antagonized it further as it landed in front of Justin, the Hufflepuff boy he had talked to on occasion.

The snake was ready to strike and Harry called out in a desperate attempt to help. "Stop! Leave him alone!" The snake jerked for one moment before laying down, looking almost harmless. The snake wouldn't hurt anyone now, but he kept talking to it, hoping to keep it that way. "That's right, nice and calm, you don't want to hurt anyone." He moved slowly towards the snake as he spoke.

Malfoy was striding towards the snake as well, thinking erroneously that the snake wouldn't hurt anyone. Serena glanced up at Justin's petrified face and knew that Harry was not speaking English, that no one believed Harry to be doing anything other than egging it on. Though Serena was boggled at the notion, the snake was relaxed now, anyone who spent anytime with snakes or other animals knew this wasn't any type of position, defensive nor offensive. This was an animal not about to hurt anyone, but that didn't mean Malfoy didn't have an adverse reaction to animals either. "Stop!" She whispered, trying to get her cousin to stop, but he didn't listen to her very well these days when it came to his own safety. "Harry!" She tried to get his attention as the snake picked its head up at the sound of her voice, most of the noise in the room had gone away, as everyone watched. It rose and turned on the caster, doubling up on itself, but probably not in an effort to attack, just get a better look around. It kind of reminded her of prairie dogs. Not that anyone here would know what a muggle animal was.

"It looks like he's ordering it to attack Malfoy." Hermione whispered to Ron and Serena.

"Let it." Ron hissed as Malfoy continued walking and Harry continued telling it to remain calm and not attack anyone. Serena shook her head, but for a different reason than Hermione, who was only half disagreeing with Ron and Ron rolled his eyes. "Not a chance, Harry wouldn't do that, he's too upstanding to sneak so low, not like Malfoy, pulling a stunt like that."

Speaking at the same time as Ron's last statement, Serena affirmed the general opinion of Harry's good friends. "He's not doing anything of the sort."

"Who knew Harry could even _speak _snake. Isn't that a Slytherin trait?" Ron continued, no one hearing Serena's comments, not acknowledging them at any rate.

Hermoine answered as they watched the tense situation, it felt like hours, but it could have only been a moment. "No, only Slytherin himself and a rare few have been able to speak it through history. Come on Ron, it was in our readings for the next test."

"We've only got the last one finished."

The two started discussing the meaning behind this, and what it could possibly have for ramifications. Serena huffed as if she weren't even in the room with them, and tried again. "He's only telling it to calm down, that everything is ok and not to attack anything. It's safe."

Snape brushed aside Malfoy before he could prod at the snake and zapped it away into a puff of gray smoke. "The two of you have some explanations to give." Snape grabbed onto the back of the necks of both the boys and glanced around the room. Serena heard Justin snap at Harry, he was just scared and didn't understand what had just happened and stormed out of the room. He'd calm down soon enough, she figured he just needed to catch a breath after being on the receiving end of a snake's venomous fangs, ready to bite. Snape had taken a few steps towards the exit, when he looked back at her with a bored look. "Serena Riddle, you as well."

Serena followed amidst the sudden clamor of speculation, all wondering what she had to do with this incident when she hadn't been anywhere near the snake, and had been less than cooperative with sharing any insight into her powers. It was deafening, the whispers, worse than any shouting she'd ever heard.

Snape let Malfoy go once they were out of the great hall. "Mr. Malfoy, ten points from Slytherin, I do not know what you were thinking by casting such a dangerous spell."

"But- you-"

"Fifteen then?" Snape lifted a black brow bored and Malfoy glanced towards Serena who still stood by the doors, having just closed them. "I thought not." Snape continued on, this time just prodding Harry forward towards his office and Serena followed duly afterward. Once in his office, Snape pushed Harry into a chair. "Do shut the door, won't you?" He sounded almost as if he were inviting her in for a cup of tea and Harry sat up straight, wondering what this was all about. 'Have a seat, Miss Riddle." Serena sat next to Harry, also on the edge, ready to bolt if the occasion called for it.

"Professor, I wasn't doing anything, I swear, I was only trying to help."

"Ah yes, Potter, so you say. Unfortunately, no one knows for sure what you were saying to it. For you were speaking Parsel tongue." Snape stood in front of them. "In fact, it would be very hard to prove one way or another whether you were encouraging it to attack all the students or telling it to lie still." Snape glanced at Serena. "No one knows for sure, except the two students I now have in front of me."

"Anyone could see that it was lying down, it was angry and then it wasn't. Anyone who understands animals in the least and wasn't frightened for their lives or scared of snakes." Serena defended Harry.

Snape sat against the edge of his desk, looking fairly amused. "Quite a little liar, aren't you, Miss Riddle?" He shook his head as he tsked. "Have everyone fooled, don't you? I almost believed you myself. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it Mr. Potter? Spitting image of your father, with your mother's eyes and your killer's thirst for blood."

"I haven't a faintest idea what you are speaking of." Harry grated out.

"No?" Snape shook his head. "I suppose you haven't heard that Voldemort kept a snake with him, a large one at that, a python. His python was his most loyal servant, bid his wishes and carried out his tasks with relish. I believe they were even friends." Snape pointed a finger from Harry to Serena. "Her father, no less. It doesn't surprise me she has the trait. I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that it passed onto you as well, this girl does have a way of rubbing off onto people."

"What is the point of all this? You have no proof and even if you had, what would it matter?" Serena glared at the man who only sent her a vacant look back, as if he was so bored with the conversation.

"You may be correct Miss Riddle. Being a parsel mouth is not against the law. Just do not be ordering any snakes into my bed or any of the other students' because snake venom is easily traced. Traced back to the two of you." He held a hand towards the doors to the dungeon. "Now get out of my sight." The two stood up and Snape spoke one last time. "Oh and Miss Riddle, I don't need proof, you will soon enough prove me correct in all aspects. I _hate_ being lied to. I just hope Potter doesn't kill you before I can use you."

Serena glared at Snape before being dragged away with Harry, they weren't in any trouble, in fact the only house to have points deducted had been Slytherin, which surprised both of them, even if Snape did favor Malfoy and Serena, she thought Harry might get the deduction.

Harry didn't say anything to Serena the whole way up, and it was probably for the best, there were still students lingering in the hallways, who flinched as they walked by or looked away or tried to hide.

When they got back to the Gryffindor common room, the place cleared out, leaving only Hermione and Ron there. Fred, George and Ginny had lingered, looking towards them as if wanting to stay, but it wasn't their place and they knew the rest needed a discussion in private.

"Why didn't you tell us you were a parsel mouth?" Ron demanded of Harry, the two hadn't really looked at Serena, concentrating instead on Harry's secret and Serena tried to tiptoe out of the room unnoticed. Harry grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the others. He was angry.

"I'm not alone in this. Serena is too. What is-"

"Remember that book first day of Potions?" Hermione cut in and Harry nodded, it was a horrible sound before it calmed and started speaking. Nobody had volunteered to repeat what it was saying, not that it was completely pleasant either.

"Parsel mouths have an ability to speak to snakes, in their own language." Ron continued.

"That book was in parsel mouth, nobody could understand it, except you."

"And Serena."

"She said she couldn't- she told _Snape_ that. It's hard to lie to Snape unless you know how to do it." Ron contemplated. "I just try to dance around the truth, not answering, misleading the conversation elsewhere, etc. Serena's a horrible liar on a good day with gullible people. Snape believed her."

"Or didn't press the issue." Hermione looked at Serena perplexed. "Can you speak it? Really?"

Serena huffed, she wouldn't get by on lies here, or ignoring them or pretending she didn't know what they were talking about. "_Yes!_" Serena crossed her arms over her chest. "I can speak it, Harry can speak it, but that doesn't mean anything!"

"How come you've kept all these things from me? Don't you think they're important?" Harry yelled, and Hermione looked across the room at him, disapprovingly. "Your father was a parsel mouth, you are a parsel mouth and you lied to Snape that very first day we were in his class! What else have you been lying about?"

"That's all well and good Harry, but maybe you should look in the mirror if you want to see a liar! Or did you conveniently forget to mention that too?" She snapped, clearly not happy to be having this conversation, ever. "_You're a parsel mouth too! _You could have said something that first day in class, I could have ratted you out then too. It's your own fault that you couldn't keep it under control and out of the limelight! Now you've gotten me involved too!"

"_What_ are you talking about?" Harry snapped back.

Serena threw her hands up in the air. "You think I was just blowing hot air when I told you that I'd seen you in London? I _saw_ you remove the glass and release the snakes, and scaring your cousin into it and replacing the glass!"

"You _saw_ that?" Harry exclaimed. "But-!"

"I was there, I heard what you'd talked about and then I saw you freak out because you didn't know what you just did. Bloody Hell, _I_ didn't know what you'd just did or why only the two of us could understand it. However, I did know better than to admit to speaking to _snakes_." She shuddered, just thinking about it.

"Obviously not a snake person." Ron quipped.

"Shut up!" Three people yelled simultaneously.

"I'm not a snake person either. I don't know why I have this skill." Harry growled. The entire year had been one up and one down the entire time so far, with people being petrified, and now that the school knew he could speak in tongues. Serena wasn't helping; she was blaming him not for possibly being the cause, but for letting out their secret.

"I do." Hermione sprang to her feet and effortlessly came to stand in front of the squabbling duo. "It's actually quite interesting too. You know how your wand only has one other with the same phoenix feather in it?" She asked Harry and he nodded. "Well... the same reason your wand is similar to Voldemort's, is because when he gave you this scar, he also gave you some of his powers and ability. It's intriguing that Serena has it too, but I guess it just shows that she really is following in his lineage." Hermione shrugged, it wasn't meant as, Serena was going to follow in his footsteps, neither was Harry. "You're more similar to the dark Lord than Serena is showing herself to be, except for the speaking to Snakes thing. Can you speak to other animals like that as well?"

Serena's eyes narrowed before she stalked off.

"What did I say?" Hermione questioned, calling after Serena who didn't respond. "I mean, I've seen her speak to the animals, but it's always been in English, but they seem to understand her, and she understands them, or at least appears to, even when they don't make a noise."

Ron chortled. "Seems I'm not the only one who puts his foot in it!"

"Don't look so happy!" Hermione snapped. "She's probably going to ignore you too!"

"Ah man." Ron slumped into his chair. Serena was never really angry with any of them, but she did avoid them at times, when they'd asked questions she wasn't willing to share the answers with them. She eventually came around to sharing or they let it go, but this time she was stone-cold furious with Harry, and Hermione probably didn't help matters much.

And Hermione's prediction came true, Serena glared at them every time they tried to go near her, or moved to sit next to Malfoy. Harry started to question that one more, Malfoy was her cousin? Who did that make her mother? _If_ Malfoy was telling the truth.

Harry came in after Quidditch one night, it had been raining all week and almost ran into Nearly Headless Nick, that would have been even worse, feeling like he was walking through ice cold water after being out in the rain all night. Nick invited him to his deathday party and Harry hastily agreed, not wanting to be caught by Filch for getting the floor muddy. Thankfully the party was after the Halloween feast they'd be having ended and until just after midnight when the ghosts would disband and they'd be able to go to bed. For Harry and the others it wasn't such a stretch and was a ways off still, thankfully.

Serena was sitting in the Common Room with Ginny and he sank down next to the redhead, who was looking rather pale. Serena was watching her closely as they chatted and then her attention turned to Harry for a brief flicker of her eyes, but this time she did not glare, but she did not say hello either. She went back to talking to Ginny and watching her like a hawk, probably concerned the girl would faint at any moment. "Have you taken the cold potion yet?"

"Percy made me do it." Ginny responded to Harry's question. "I feel just fine."

"Are you sure? You look like death." Ron said plopping down, thinking that everything was back to normal, finally, though Hermione had apologized profusely for suggesting that Serena had the ability to talk to the other animals like it was a bad thing and the unintentional suggestion that Serena's ability came from her father and would use it only for evil. Harry too had apologized for jumping down her throat and Ron had just said sorry. Serena just needed a few days to cool off, it had been an attack on her character and Harry knew an attack on her in more ways than even he fully realized.

"Thanks Ron." Ginny grumbled, and standing up. "You sure know the right words to say to a girl."

"Sorry, we had five brothers growing up, thought you'd be used to it by now." Ginny rolled her eyes as she walked away. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know, maybe all it is, is needing more rest. I just don't remember first year being so difficult." Serena responded and Harry realized Serena was over her anger. The two of them would need to discuss the trait later on but for now, he'd steer conversation a different way. He didn't need to take care of that though, someone else accomplished the goal for him.

Serena started laughing. "You know, it would serve you right to have six daughters and a son at the end."

"Oh ha-ha." Ron stated dryly. "That would be the day. Think of it, _me_ having seven children running around my house?"

"Think of it though!" Harry joined in on the joke. "When your family gets together for the holidays, you'll have your own league, it will last the whole month, I'd be surprised if these boys will let anyone stop for a food break."

"Oh come on now, Harry, we all know that is unfair. Those boys love food and sleep just as much as Quidditch, they won't stop for anything else though." Hermione jumped in, liking this path of conversation, it was a lot lighter than anything she'd been working on recently. Between half the group's ability come to light, as well as working on the Poly Juice potion and getting the hair from the Slytherin girl and researching the heir of Slytherin and Chamber of Secrets, two totally complicated tasks on their own, throwing in what could petrify a person and to top it all off, she had her class work to keep up, more classes than the rest of them and maintain a social appearance. If anyone had a right to look as tired as Ginny, it would be her. Ginny must have just her classes and friends to deal with. Besides everything else Hermione had to do, she also had to keep her friends out of trouble as well, it appeared with everything else that had gone on so far. It felt good to laugh, and laugh she did, all night with her three best friends entertaining her.

When everyone else headed up the stairs, Hermione waited until the common room cleared out to tell the boys of her news. "The potion should be ready tomorrow. We can make our move then."

The next morning was a Sunday. After several incidents, and trials, Harry and Ron managed to get a hair from the goons' hair and practically strained themselves moving the bodies into a hiding spot. Hermione had devised the way to knock them unconscious without them knowing who did it or why. Hermione had to sit this one out after the potion went array with her hair strand sample. Harry and Ron almost blew it themselves, wanting to lash out at Malfoy at every word he said. Harry went to get the cloak while Ron returned the clothes to Crabbe and Goyle. Harry covered Hermione up with it and the three of them headed up the stairs. Moaning Myrtle had a field day with Hermione's unfortunate situation before sulking off when Harry and Ron only felt sorry for Hermione, but weren't going to make fun of her. "I always get made fun of!" Then she disappeared down the toilet.

Hermione hid under the cloak on top of her bed until everyone went to sleep. Serena wasn't up the stairs yet but that didn't really surprise Hermione. Serena generally was one of the last students in the common room. When she came in though, Hermione was finally sitting on the bed, no tail or viable reason for anyone to suspect she had been anything less than human throughout the whole day. She should have known better though, Serena would suspect something was up.

* * *

Serena had her own eventful day. She was told the plan for the afternoon and made herself scarce, least she give up the plan to Malfoy, by either saying the wrong thing or running into him and diverging him off course. Luckily though, Serena had a plan, and she ducked out of the castle grounds heading to one of her favorite locations. Hagrid's. She knocked on the door and Hagrid let her in. "Ooh, who's a good Fang? You are!" She greeted the giant dog, probably not any type of dog one would see back in the muggle world. She got a tongue licking up the side of her face in greeting back and Fang started to follow her around the small cabin, made even smaller by the two large males in it.

"He's been whining at the door every day, waiting for you to come see him." Hagrid complained. "It was hard to concentrate with him threatening to run off towards the castle every time I let him out."

Serena grinned at Hagrid. "Sorry. Bad Fang, you stay here, ok?" Fang whimpered but settled down on the floor in front of the fireplace. "What have you been up to Hagrid?"

"Trying to track Buckbeak down among other duties having to do with the Forbidden Forest. Thank you with your help with the unicorns. They're very shy and what you've managed to do for them is wonders."

Serena smiled gently. "Unicorns are precious creatures." She remembered seeing the unicorns for the first time, their blood bleeding silver, and glistening in the moonlight. Serena had wept over one for almost an hour. Hagrid had found her and carried her back to his cabin and forced her to drink some hot remedy he had made that was good for sorrow he told her. She had taken it, felt warmer and a little more able to cope with what she had seen. She had spent the next few weeks tracking them down and ensuring their safety. Even telling some to leave for the time being, that even the forbidden forest wasn't safe. It made it more difficult at least for Voldemort to find them, one more got caught but she couldn't have done anything about it. She helped out recently with them by counting and making sure no further damage had been done. By her count, there were five new ones this year, Hagrid said there had only been two the previous year. They more than returned the numbers back to where they should have been and Serena was pleased she'd help do something right.

"Have you seen my pumpkins?" Hagrid boasted and Serena's smile widened.

"They're almost taller than your house!"

The pumpkins truly were, Hagrid had been using magic to help them grow, even though he wasn't supposed to, the wand expertly hidden in his umbrella, but Serena wouldn't say a word. Sometimes things had to be done that weren't what the Ministry deemed acceptable. Besides, Serena had been giving them her own boost as well. "I was hoping they'd be bigger than that for Halloween."

"I'm sure they will be, you have to admit they've grown quite a bit since September. Halloween is still a couple of days away." Fang lifted his head to look at her curiously, he knew she was doing something to the plants even as they spoke. Despite what Hermione had guessed at, Serena couldn't actually _talk_ to these animals, she didn't understand the words they said, Endymion might have been able to, she couldn't. She just understood them in her heart, the connection she had with them assured them that she was all right and she could emphasize with their feelings and use that to calm them down or rile them up, get them to trust her. Sometimes that trust meant that they protected her, even when sometimes she preferred they didn't. She didn't want any harm to come to them. The plants were a different story, she asked them to do things for her, and they agreed. The closest thing she'd ever had in a way of them communicating back to her had been when she asked one to show her what they did, as long as it didn't hurt her. They obliged and showed her the different stages. Obviously there were something they couldn't do, no matter what she asked of them, she couldn't feel their feelings, understand their worries or understand any warnings unless it smacked her up the head with them. The plants had tried, these especially were a little bit of tricksters when they wanted to be, but at least she wasn't killing every plant she touched anymore.

"Too true. Say, Serena, I know this is a lot to ask of you, considering how much you've been helping me out. I feel almost like you've become the grounds-keeper and not me." Hagrid rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he couldn't ask this on top of everything else he'd taken advantage of with her unique talents.

"Anything Hagrid." Serena agreed, though she knew she probably shouldn't, he might ask her to debug a stump or something. She had barely avoided helping him out with the insects eating the gardens. "Besides, you know so much more about all these magical creatures. I've only begun learning, and you're the reason I've been introduced to them in the first place." The first magical creature she'd met had been Fang, and she'd fallen in love with the beast, despite herself.

"Ah." Hagrid turned slightly pink. "You flatter me. But you might hate me after this request. Professor Sprout has been trying to bandage up the whomping willow, she's gotten most of the ones she could, but isn't having luck with some of the more minor ones." Serena had seen the slings on the branches after Harry and Ron had run into it with Ron's father's car. Neat trick, that. Serena had congratulated Ron for going above and beyond something his brothers would think of. Ron and Harry had been getting quite a few compliments for their quick thinking, Hermione had chewed them out, but Serena wisely kept her mouth shut on either side of the issue, though she wished she'd been in the car.

"When you say minor?" It had been almost two months since the car had rammed into it, and if Professor Sprout was still working on it- and it hadn't healed-

"I mean they're nasty looking, she just can't get to them without being battered and knocked away. I was just thinking with your perchance with plants as well as animals, and she was looking for help, and I'm too big for the job, maybe you would?"

Serena sighed, she had already agreed. "What would I have to do?"

"Good!" Hagrid slapped a hand onto Serena's back and knocked her off her feet. "Sorry." He helped her back up. "You wouldn't be a good warrior, you never stay on your feet." Serena smiled wryly at the comment, knowing how true it would be. "I'm surprised you even go up to angry creatures. You look too much like a fairy." She'd been called worse, and more accurate so she ignored it as the three of them walked to the tree and Sprout, who was sitting just out of reach, taking a breather. "I got you help!"

"No Hagrid, she'll get hurt too much, and I don't need Madame Pomfrey arguing with me about how I care more about plants than students. McGonagall will get down my throat about that too. Especially because the child is from her house."

"I've volunteered." Serena argued. "I'm good with plants, remember?"

"That's only with plants smaller than yourself." Sprout shook her curly head that was nothing but gray strands. "I am older and should do this alone."

"No really, let me try. I promise I won't say you had anything to do with it, I just got too close when walking by or something."

Sprout looked a long time at Hagrid who nodded and would probably pull her out of the way before a branch could smack into Serena then she groaned. "Fine, but really, sometimes I think you're Hagrid's flesh and blood, too much of a bleeding heart." Serena and Hagrid both beamed at the compliment, even though it wasn't fully intended to be that way. "Here." Sprout shoved some ointment towards Serena. "This is what needs to be lathered on the cuts. Try to dodge the branches best you can."

Serena turned towards the tree, beating savagely against the ground and kept trying to reach the rest of them just out of touching distance. Serena took a deep breath and steeled herself for going in. This was all Harry and Ron's fault, if they hadn't hit the tree, she wouldn't be here now. But the branches crashing down like fists avoided her, allowed her clear passage through and guided her to the areas that needed the balm. Serena's eyes caught something at the base of the tree, it was still part of it, and partly not, it was dark and wooden and wouldn't have fit more than a single person in it, if they were dropping down through it, it wouldn't fit anyone any other way. It was a door of some sort, there was a lock on it and impossible to get to by normal means, if the willow had anything to do by it. She might be able to get through, were she to try, at night. The willow let her by, but she wasn't sure about the lock, it might be a simple spell to release it or it might backfire on her and hurt if she didn't know the right spell first. Or potion, a thought flickered in her mind about potions and how people automatically went towards spells when it came to simple things. Snape had been infiltrating her thoughts too often. Serena yawned as she slathered on another coating to another scratch. Upon closer inspection, there were the most scratch marks next to the door, and she worked on it, the tree healing before her eyes.

She must have touched a sensitive spot when she was thinking down a completely different path for a branch came swinging at her, intending for her midsection when Hagrid reached in and pulled her out, and Professor Sprout shrieking in the background about not damaging any more limbs. She'd already been roughed up enough for one year. The tree shuddered to a stop to allow Hagrid and Serena safe passage out. Then when they were far enough away, it took up its habits again. "I don't understand how you do it, or why it suddenly wasn't liking you."

"I don't think it would have been that bad." Though that blow might have broken her rib cage. She winced at the thought, broken ribs killed. In many ways, not just death but in pain as well.

Hagrid brushed off any branches that might have been in her hair and robe before sending her on her way. "Thank you Serena, let me know if there's anything I can do for you, all right? Never hesitate to ask."

Serena turned back towards him, her mouth open to do just that but she shook her head and decided it was best to head into the castle again, she'd have to find a spot other than the common room that she could avoid Malfoy in, in case they weren't done with him yet, or if they were, she didn't want to tip him off to what just happened. "I'll see you Hagrid!" She pet Fang again before heading back up.

"Hold on Miss Riddle, I believe fifty Gryffindor points are in order. Thank you for your help. I would have been still working on this come Holidays if it hadn't been for you."

Serena smiled towards Professor Sprout. "No problem, glad I could help." Serena said her goodbyes and headed up towards the castle.

She was waylaid though on her path up the long grassy hill by Oliver Wood. "Hey, Serena!"

"Hi Oliver." She greeted as he caught up to her and then slowed to match her pace. "How are you?"

"Good. I was actually wondering if you could spare a moment of your time." Oliver slowed even further and ground to a halt. Serena followed suit and waited for him to continue. "I saw the way you handled that tree. You're pretty good at avoiding things, aren't you?"

Serena wouldn't admit that she was only good at that, if it was a good day and not even that good at it. "I wasn't avoiding them." She wasn't lying, though she'd had to side-step a few of them, none of them save that last one had been aimed at her, making her do any of the stunts she might have pulled if it hadn't listened to her. "But what's the point?"

"Well you'd be a pretty good Quidditch player, if you were interested."

"Doing what?" Serena wasn't really considering it, her life was already too busy as it was. However she was interested to see where Wood thought she might fit in the best.

"Being a Chaser."

Serena couldn't help the small laugh at the idea. She would be one of three, but she would be the one to toss the ball into the other team's goals and avoid bludgers. "You're teams are already set for the year." Serena hedged, it wouldn't have been much different than anything she was already doing, but she didn't have time or ability to actually commit to all the practices or games. She hadn't even been able to see all the ones Harry played in, let alone all his practices. She definitely didn't get to the games that the other teams played without Gryffindor, which Wood would want her at to spy on the other teams' methods.

"Aye, but it wouldn't be for this year. I would like you for next year. I am a little disappointed you haven't tried out yet."

"You haven't seen me on a broomstick Oliver, so really it wouldn't be prudent to try to cast me for that position without even trying out."

"So try out, just you and me, and I'll see how you handle yourself on the broom."

Serena shook her head. "Sorry Oliver, I just can't."

"What other extra-curricular activities have you got? I hadn't seen any for you. This would be great for the future, something others will see and pick you above other students who don't do something outside of class."

Serena laughed again and placed a hand on Oliver's arm. "Trust me, I have enough recommendations to help me out." She winked and wandered away. Oliver would just have to trust that was her answer and she wouldn't changer her mind.

Oliver went off pouting, her skills might have been invaluable to the team on his last year. Getting them the winning cup, hopefully in both Quidditch and House Cup. Serena was still laughing to herself as she walked up the stairs to the side entrance. She was shaking her head, thinking about herself not only being a klutz on the ground, but then tempting that by leaving her feet completely. Though she might be better suited for that than walking, but then again she had fallen off a chair on a few occasions, and her bed. Best not to tempt anything too crazy on the broom.

Now all she had to do was kill a little more time before heading up to the common room, and then staying there until she was ready for bed.

* * *

"So Malfoy's _not_ the heir." Hermione summed up that night, when she was finally back to normal.

"I could have told you that. I thought I did actually." Serena teased sinking down into the floor next to Hermione. "Hermione, have you been playing with Crookshanks?" Serena asked rubbing her eyes.

"No, why?"

Serena held back a sneeze until it couldn't be anymore and let it out. "It's just... you're reeking cat, and I think I have allergies to that particular breed. I didn't think Crookshanks bothered me before."

Hermione watched Serena sneeze again and groaned into her hands. "Sorry Serena, it was the adverse affects of something I had done earlier today."

"The wrong hair I take it?" Serena patted Hermione sympathetically on the back. "At least you're mostly back to normal."

"If only I could stop shedding." Hermione complained and Serena dug around her pockets for something and handed it to the brunette. "What's this?"

"There's a cat that stays at our house. I use this on her on occasion during the warmer seasons."

Hermione took the topic cream and started rubbing it on every exposed part of her body, even lifting her shirt and shoving her hand under it to rub her belly and back. "Why do you keep the cat around if you're allergic to her?"

"Not my choice. She's been around longer than I've been born. That's more to lessen the shedding than to help my allergies. She's not as bad as you are, Crookshanks, believe it or not is actually better. Though you wouldn't see me bringing her here and cast spells on her. I don't think she'd appreciate that." Serena explained. They spoke in low whispers, sitting on the floor between their beds, everyone else was asleep and they shouldn't overhear most of their conversation anyways. It might have gotten them in trouble. "Are people still avoiding Harry?"

"A little, though they're getting used to the idea that he can speak Parsel Tongue. It was probably very wise on your part not to let too many people know about your ability. I know Harry was kind of annoyed that he's the only one being looked at strangely when it should be everyone with the skill, but he's at least viewed as the good guy."

"That can change." Serena stated almost sadly. "One day everyone believes you're the hero, and the next, wondering how you got there, believing the worst in you." Serena drew her knees up to her chest. "The fact that he has taken on some of the things that Voldemort had, makes people suspicious. Though Harry is still mostly the reason that Voldemort is gone."

"The Boy Who Lived." Hermione repeated the age-old adage, though neither of these girls had ever heard it before the previous year. "For all they really know, he could have just not been attacked and considered that by people who weren't there to see what really happened. Except for his strange connections to someone not blood related. Though he's apparently a lot like his parents as well."

"You don't believe- do you-?" Serena let it slide, she couldn't bring herself to ask it and looked away from Hermione.

"Believe what?" Hermione pressed, resting a hand on Serena's linked arms around her legs. "You can ask me, I won't judge."

"You don't think that I'm capable of killing do you?" She finally asked, looking up. "He's in my blood, somewhere, and he made no hesitation in doing so, countless of times."

Hermione let out a weak chuckle. "No Serena, that thought is impossible to conceive. You are nothing like the stories of Voldemort, Harry is nothing like the stories. Voldemort was one person, came from a bad place and chose to do bad things. You and Harry chose to do good things, are there for your friends. I don't believe for one moment you are anything but good and trustworthy."

Serena let a trembling smile come to her lips. "Thanks Hermione." Though she wondered if she could do it if it ever came down to needing to. Those she had so far, didn't count, they were made of the earth seconds before she faced them and returned to it. No free thoughts, only obeying commands. Serena's hand not gripping Hermione's reached down her leg and felt the scab over her calf, it was hard and dark if she were to look at it, but at least it was healing. She had gotten it a few days ago. There was nothing she could do to hurry it along, it was a burn scab and hurt every time she walked and pulled at it, but it wasn't as bad as the time she sprained her ankle this year.

She decided she was just going to use a story that she came upon different types of creatures in the Forbidden Forest and they had gotten at her before she could work her mojo. In fact, it was mostly true, at least the words were, if not the meanings.

The two finished off the snacks in between them, Serena had bribed some of the students who'd gone into Hogsmeade for their first weekend out of the year. She had only shared with Hermione, if she had let Ron near it, they would have been gone completely, as it was, Serena wasn't much better, half the pile was left and she'd just gotten them the day before. Anything that was left Serena scooped up into a pile and put them back into her trunk. Ron would never see them.

"I was wondering, Serena..." Hermione paused in the motion of turning towards her bed and Serena nodded for her to continue. "I guess it might be a silly question, but do you hear a voice on occasion?"

"A raspy voice?" Serena's head perked up, interested. "You hear it too?" Serena had never asked anyone else, no one else ever seemed to notice it.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not. Harry has." Serena looked questioning towards Hermione for a long while before the two of them realized there wasn't much more to say on this matter at this time, and everything had been hashed out already. Though both were wondering what it could mean and what the next steps were.

* * *

EAN: So... yay! I've updated 2x in one month... well, at least within a 30 day time period... That counts for something, doesn't it? How are you liking the slight twists I'm putting onto the original story? There are a few areas I'm sure that you all hate and want to kill me for or at least flame/point out... and I'm willing to hear them! I know there's areas that are a little hazy, I just can't seem to find the effort to go through and make sure everything is perfect without a few slight plotholes. Any good story will have them, and eventually I will get around to editing them out. Every time I edit I find something else. Bare with it, please. I love to update for you guys, you love to get updates, eh?


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 2

* * *

Part 5/10

* * *

AN: A chapter within five days! EXCITING, No?

* * *

The final days counting down towards Halloween went by quickly as the classes picked up not only in subject matter but also the first wave of exams for the second years. "I can't believe we'll be having OWLs at the end of this year." Ron complained as he stretched after an entire potions lesson where they were peering down into the cauldron. "My back is stiff."

"What are OWLs?" Harry questioned as they walked down the hall.

"They determine what tracks are accessible for students. At the end of year four, we'll have NEWTs which we've either accomplished our goals or have to pick something else. Kind of stifling actually." Ron explained. "Percy got fifteen OWLs, made him best candidate for Headboy, just like Charlie. If I don't get fifteen Mum'll have a fit. Going every other and all that." Though the twins did kind of throw a wrench in the system and Ginny being a girl made way for different results.

"There's not usually two from the same house." Hermione reminded Ron.

"I suppose you'll be headgirl, you can have it, I was never interested in that kind of pressure."

"Yeah right- I heard your-"

Harry tuned them out as they started bickering again over another thing the two of them were competing for. It was rather annoying, he just wished they'd get together already and stop this foreplay. Serena wasn't with them, she had sprinted off towards another of her friends, Malfoy was thankfully left in her wake. She at least didn't have to listen to this. Harry ducked away from them, heading down at different path, as he realized he had to do something first. Ron and Hermione hardly noticed his absence. On his way though he sloshed through water outside the girls' first floor lavatory. He ducked in, knowing it'd be empty and went to go see what the problem was this time.

"Are you here to throw something at me as well?" Myrtle asked in a shrill voice.

"No." Harry disagreed. "Someone threw something at you?"

"Yes. No one cares about poor Myrtle. Sitting here, minding my own business and suddenly something falls on top of my head." Myrtle whined.

"Well, since you're a ghost, it wouldn't hurt would it?" Harry asked tentatively.

Myrtle got riled up at the comment. "Just because I'm a ghost! People think its funny to just throw things at me, it doesn't matter, it'll go right through you and you won't feel it. Well I've got feelings! Take the stupid book!" Myrtle disappeared into the toilet, causing it to overflow more and the book spilled out onto the ground next to Harry's feet.

"I take it you won't be going to the Deathday party tonight?"

Myrtle reappeared. "Are you asking me to go as your date?"

"Uh..."

"Of course not, Harry Potter, cruel to dead girls. I'll bring my own date, thank you very much!" Myrtle disappeared again and more water sloshed up against his legs.

"Erg." Harry shook them out and left the girls' bathroom before he was drowned. He tucked the book into his sleeve and continued on his way towards Hagrid's. He'd promised he'd come visit, and check out Hagrid's work for morale before the party on Sunday.

* * *

Serena glanced both directions before she pulled Harry's cloak over her head and followed the red head down the hall. Something about this girl's day had to lead to some reason that she was looking sicker and sicker. Serena was determined to get to the bottom of it and was puzzled when she saw Ginny enter the bathroom she knew Harry, Hermione and Ron had finished using earlier in the week. Serena was thankful for the timing, any earlier and Ginny might have stumbled upon the secret potion they were brewing. This bathroom was generally avoided like the plague. Ginny didn't spend much time in it, just enough to throw a brown book over one of the stalls and duck out again. Serena barely managed to avoid being run into by the youngest Weasley child and spent half a second debating whether to follow Ginny or retrieve the book. Myrtle made her decision easier by flooding all the stalls and Serena ran before she got wet and started trailing water along with her. The water would be an easy way to discover her using something that wasn't only not hers, but also probably against many school rules or at least abating in them and also allowing someone who need not know, that this device was around and in use and belonging to one of the quad-squad.

Serena lost Ginny in the process and Serena whipped it off of her as the hallways was empty and used this class schedule break to return Harry his cloak, without ever knowing it'd been used. He probably wouldn't trust her again, at least for a while, if he knew what she'd done without his permission but he might give her time off for good intentions. They were all worried about Ginny but one of her side-effects seemed to develop selective muteism.

Serena returned to the bathroom after making sure everything was perfect in Harry's trunk and making sure no one saw her. Ginny had been looking stressed out and Serena ran into her again outside the portrait of the painted fat lady. Serena was exiting as Ginny was entering, and against she toyed with what was right, but knew it would look somewhat weird to follow Ginny back in when she was leaving so Serena headed to the bathroom and Myrtle and the book were both gone. Serena didn't know what happened to it until many weeks later.

* * *

The day before Halloween fell on a Saturday, meaning a Quidditch meet between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The whole school gathered and cheered on their respective houses or in case of the two teams not currently playing, the one they'd rather win. Hufflepuff was the losing team at this juncture, putting Ravenclaw into the second bracket. Gryffindor would be playing Hufflepuff next and then Sytherin before moving up to see who got second to last place. They could have just done who won the first game moved into the second bracket, and the other two teams played one another and then the winner would face Ravenclaw, and then the first and second place winners would be decided that way, and the losers facing one another would decide the rest of the order, but there were only four teams and they preferred to play all of them, otherwise there'd only be four meets. Besides, the loser of the first game could end up being second place, where if it was done the other way, the best they could hope for was third.

Harry was happy for Ravenclaw, they were a good clean match. Hufflepuff too but Ravenclaw was actually a challenge. The last time they'd faced Ravenclaw it had been so even that only the snitch being caught in time would have given them enough points to just barely qualify for a win. It would be easy to just wish all the teams were easy to beat, but that would be lazy and they might just lose if they got complacent.

During dinner, Oliver sank between Serena and Ron and dropped an arm around her shoulders. "Thought any more about my suggestion?"

"You won't even be here next year." Oliver was Percy's age and they were moving onto bigger and better things.

"What are you talking about, Oliver?" Harry questioned.

"I was asking Serena if she wanted to be a Chaser."

"But that wouldn't be your decision. It'd be whoever was Captain next year's decision and the result of tryouts." Harry was a little confused but mostly curious.

"I'm trying to find you the replacements of the people who'd be leaving after this year. Myself namely, and getting you a new Keeper."

"I'd be the replacement Keeper." Ron piped in as Serena tried to remove the arm over her shoulders. "Or a chaser. I do both when we play."

Oliver glanced at Ron but went back to looking to Harry and Serena. "I really think you should reconsider, Serena. Oh and Harry, there's another thing, as youngest seeker in over a century, I'd like to hand my reigns over to you. Harry, would you be the next captain?"

Harry stared at Oliver thunderstruck, not expecting the words to come from him. Surely one of the twins, or an older student would be better suited, who'd been on the team more than his year and a half. "Wouldn't someone with more experience-?"

"No. You know the rules and the game plan better than anyone and I'd think you'd be more invested in it than anyone else. I know, you always have these side projects you're working on, but you've got two years left to bring our team to victory. Though I'd like this year to break the records." Oliver looked at him pointedly. "You should also consider getting her to change her mind, she'd be fantastic."

"Or me!" Ron leaned over the table, putting his elbow in a pudding and not noticing. "You could look at me more closely."

"You can add Ron if you want to, though I'd strongly suggest picking the _best_ players. And Serena could possibly be the best chaser I've ever seen."

"I haven't even flown in front of you." Serena argued. "I'd rather watch from the sidelines."

"Let's go all out and practice now!" Ron jumped in excited. Four pairs of eyes turned to look at him like he was crazy. "What?" He asked offended. "It can show all of us whether or not we're any good."

"Serena doesn't like to be forced to showcase her skills. Did you forget the other day?" Hermione threw a roll at his head. "She forfeited."

"But she can't forfeit if balls are coming at her head!" Ron sounded pleased with his reasoning.

"Ah, why not?" Serena put down her fork and knife, she was finished anyways. Perhaps they'd leave her alone after this.

Oliver and Ron were both excited at the prospect. Oliver looked at who was with them, Hermione could play, just not well, she could be one of the other Chasers, he supposed. Harry for the time being would have to play something other than seeker, they wouldn't even let that ball out. "Fred, George, want to join us?"

"Doing what?" The two were always up for something, and today they all just happened to be at the table together, just further down. Some were just straggling in and others had been gone for a few hours by now.

"We're going to do a scrimmage." Oliver explained.

"Sounds great, we're in." The twins followed the rest outside, and since it was as unlikely a time as the five in the morning ones, when the sun had yet to rise, no one was out on the field to contest the use, and Oliver decided not to mention that they might get points deducted for not having signed it out, but he figured no one would mind. "So what's the plan? There's only seven of us."

"I can sit out." Hermione suggested, if it were to make teams more even.

"No, no, you can be a chaser too. Harry, take that position for now, would you? Join Hermione on my team. Serena, you'll be the chaser, Ron will be the keeper, and Fred, you'll be their beater. George, you're with us." Harry looked at Serena a little apologetically, this seemed like really unfair teams. Serena shrugged, she was ok with this, it was just for fun. "Right then, one Quaffle and one bludger, no snitch. First team to a hundred wins."

"Right then." Fred clamped a hand onto Serena and Ron's shoulders and steered them away for a little pregame planning. "Their handicaps are Hermione and Harry, though he's played before in this position with us, so it's not as weak of a spot. Hermione is on their team so it gives us a chance to block their goals, Ron, you up for this?"

"I am!" However the game would never end unless they got in some points as well. Serena sighed and buffed her nails on her chest, knowing full well that these two didn't think anything of this supposed ability that Oliver deemed to her to have when nobody had seen her on a broom. She couldn't say for sure whether this would end in disaster or not.

"Harry's good at dodging bludgers, Oliver's a great keeper. Serena, as chaser, you've got to get to one he can't possibly reach in time. I'll try to distract him with bludgers, and George will play right into my hands. We'll be too close to him to concentrate on you."

Serena thought the idea was very valid and told him so, and in a real game it was probably still somewhat legal. Though they'd have to keep moving and not get penalized to keep Wood distracted long enough for her to score goals in, and they only needed to score ten times. Man this was going to be a long game, or very short.

The players took to their brooms and raised into the air, Harry looked at the fact that there were three actual players on his team and an extra member against one player, who was evenly matched in his twin. Harry felt bad for them and decided to be easier on them. Maybe if they'd invited Ginny down to play with them, it would be better odds, or at least made him feel better. He wished she were here, just because he wanted her around. However seeing Ron, and the other Weasley boys get ready to beat him down with bludgers and points, he might be better off if she weren't around.

Harry was regretting the decision to be easy on them ten minutes into the game when neither he nor Hermione had scored any points and Serena was whizzing by him again just before a bludger cut in front of his eyes, reminiscent of the one that had smashed his arm up. Harry ducked just in time to not be hit by the returning folly by the brother of the one that shouted out his apologizes, the one that had been on Harry's team. Harry had turned to try and intercept Serena and get the ball back, but so had Hermione and yet with even the two Chasers and their beater going after her, she still managed to get close enough to Wood to score on him.

Harry caught the ball and streamlined down the field towards Ron, who caught the ball, but it had been a lucky catch. The game continued on and Harry was really regretting any weakness he may have shown towards the opposing three player when sweat poured down his nose and he had to constantly be wiping off his glasses. Hermione had a spell for him during normal matches to keep them from fogging up, since he wasn't allowed to do it himself and had to be watched by an official. He just didn't think of it today and Hermione was busy. She was doing all right, but she was also afraid to let go of the broom at times to try and use both hands.

The score by the end of the match was one hundred to twenty and the most amateur players were the ones winning. Harry had caught on to the strategy early on and they had tried to block it but Fred was smarter than he pretended to be most of the time, which Harry understood but not to the extreme he and his brother seemed to operate on. Harry did have to hand it to Serena,she was very nubile, she dodged things coming at her very well and actually managed to use that trait to slip through the defenses to score points.

"Wood, you might want to think about replacing yourself." Fred clasped a hand onto Ron's shoulder. "I think my younger brother's got you beat."

"Yeah well, good thing I'm captain." Oliver was ready to switch up positions, see how people did with different jobs and techniques they could use, but nobody else was willing to do so. There was going to be a long day tomorrow and they wanted to get to bed so they could enjoy it.

Oliver reluctantly joined them back inside the castle. "Think about what I said." He said as they entered the house common room, and then splitting off towards his respective compartment. Harry and Ron shared a grin. Harry would take the position or never hear the end of it, and Ron would probably get the position of Keeper next year as well, as long as nothing disastrous happened in the meantime. The two males looked towards Serena as Fred and George both congratulated Serena on her skills, Hermione had gone up to bed right away, she was wiped. Serena caught their look, they were both very excited and too eager for Serena's comfort and she shook her head negatively, she would not fall into their little plan. Besides, someone had to sit out and watch from the sidelines with Hermione. Keep her from enchanting every player who misbehaved. Serena kissed both Fred and George on their cheek before disappearing up the stairs, knowing they'd stop the younger boys from following her.

"Man, I can't believe she's got you both hoodwinked." Ron complained as he sank into one of the chairs. "She'd make our team unbeatable."

"First of all, she doesn't want to join us, meaning, she wouldn't play no matter how we goaded her, and if we managed to get her to play, she would win us victory but we'd forever be feeling guilty for forcing her. Secondly, you're one to talk, Ron. I have yet to meet a guy who doesn't fall under her charm instantly. Even Snape bends to her."

"But there's different degrees. All she has to do is bat her eyes and you're falling over yourselves to do as she wishes."

"The difference, Ron, is that we let her manipulate us. We like it, and we know what's going on. You don't realize that we're not fooled. But then again, she doesn't need to fool us, she only uses us to protect herself, nothing devious." George tapped Ron on the forehead. "Are you jealous?"

"Why?" Ron grumbled, he never got kisses on the cheek, he got plenty of hugs, sure, but never skin to skin contact.

"She doesn't bat her eyes at you and you still cave to her whims." That might not have been completely true, but Harry was amused by it. All boys were taken with Serena, and Ron was no different, but the thing with Ron and Serena's relationship, was that there was one thing that they consistently argued over and neither wanted to back down on the subject, and that was food. If there was any other topic that the two could be more stubborn on together, Harry would woe the day because he might then have to chose between them and right now, he wasn't sure who'd win. Though they did argue about studying too, but that argument was about how best to avoid it and they usually compromised by using all the techniques together.

Harry bid the red haired boys goodnight and headed upstairs. They were still arguing about how much they were infatuated with Serena when he fell asleep.

* * *

Halloween started out with a bang, literally. Harry jolted out of his deep sleep, with painful ramifications as he ended up on the floor. Holding his head he sat up, and looked around for the culprit. However most of the boys were in similar states of confusion as he was, all except Ron who was still sound asleep. Harry heard the noise again and looked to the windows, trying to see where it was coming from. Some of the other boys had already crowded in around it, but there was nothing out there to suggest that the noise was coming from outside and it continued while they searched. Harry and a few of the other boys who weren't looking out the window had the bright idea of opening the door to check inside the hallway and common room and found other heads from the other years poking out as well just as another noise cracked loudly in the air. Zooming past all the students was a tiny rocket that exploded into a giant pumpkin face carved like a vampire. Then another one popped and it was a black cat, followed by several others. Harry had a pretty good idea who was behind this and he grinned, going back in to grab his robe and then heading down the stairs. No wonder the Weasley twins were deflecting to play more Quidditch, listening to the game plan bored them, but they couldn't get enough of the actual game. This might be the only reason why they'd give up to get up early in the morning, so they could wake up before everyone else and surprise them with a special showing only Gryffindor would have.

"Where'd you get these?" Harry questioned, lighting one off himself and sending it through the girl's staircase, they found their own way to the end, and exploded, making a racket the whole way through first.

"It's the weekend you know, we might not have had much time for it this week, but last week we positively stocked up on them. It was a bugger trying to get them past Filch though." Fred let another one go, but into the Common Room where some of the students had gathered and they all jumped slightly, not expecting it to be so close.

"Wait until after Christmas break, you'll love Zonko's." George continued. "Fred and I hope to buy it some day."

"I think it's brilliant." Harry let another one fly before grabbing a couple and running up the stairs back to his room and let them rip right over Ron's bed.. The sight was too funny to pass up as the lanky boy fell head first to the floor and did a flip over the bed to land face down. Harry couldn't stop laughing and then realized Ron went back to sleep. Harry let another one go and Ron jerked to a sitting position.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" He moaned, still not completely awake and Harry let the last one fly and Ron's eyes widened. "Is that- Fred and George's?" Ron bolted to his feet and raced into the hallway where a lot of tired students watched the displays, but not awake enough to come down stairs like the twins wanted, but didn't care either. "The girls awake yet?"

"Can't see how they could possibly sleep through this." Harry nudged Ron with his elbow to make his point clear and Ron laughed and yawned again.

"Guess I was just tired."

"What's new?"

"Har har." Ron pouted but Serena came stumbling down the stairs, a robe covering her pajamas and tripped on the bottom step, flying forward into the ground as Ron let one of the firecrackers off and narrowly avoiding Serena, they were bewitched to avoid people and lucky thing too, because Ron hadn't seen her at first and it would have probably hit her in the eye. No one knew what would happen if they managed to actually piss her off. Even when severely angry with Harry and Hermione earlier this year, she hadn't done anything, but just took time to cool off.

Fred and George jumped over the couches and each other to reach Serena first, and help her back up to a standing position, only to move her to said couch to ensure that she wasn't hurt and if she was, not to aggravate it more. She shrugged them off when they continued to fuss of her and refused to sit down on the couch. A large yawn stretched across her face and she covered her mouth with her hand to try to make it less contagious. It didn't help very much as a round of yawns broke across everyone else's. Hermione came down not long after, fully dressed and ready for the day. Nobody else was. But with her presence and fully dressed, people realized it was time to get moving and onward with the day.

The day turned out to be more eventful than anyone thought, the day was filled with interesting knowledge and neat tricks and entertainment. The feast was put on the table and all of the students dug in, while watching dancers and fireworks go off into the brilliant sky above, outside and inside the sky was a gorgeous shade of dark blue and twinkling stars.

After most of the feast, the foursome broke off from the rest to go join Nearly Headless Nick at his party. This one was far from entertaining and more taxing, and even after Harry vouched for Nick, the Headless horsemen didn't pick him to join them. Moaning Myrtle was there and bemoaned the fact that Harry had a date, even after he'd asked her too. She disappeared through a wall and it was the cue for the rest to slowly make their way away from this party. They were the only four in a long time to have witnessed a deathday party and while wishing Nick a happy 100, they were freezing and sickened by the smell of rotting food on the table. Serena worse than the others, her teeth were chattering and shivering violently. Hermione rubbed her arms, trying to warm the blond but not succeeding.

"Maybe you should go to hospital." Hermione suggested, but Serena shook her head as they continued walking up the hall towards the Gryffindor wing. "But-"

"The fire will be fine." Serena argued, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso. She heard a voice and her head jerked up and she looked around, and saw that Harry too was looking but neither said anything. Hermione watched the two with understanding dawning in her eyes but she didn't comment yet, she had to be sure first. Had to know everything.

"Come on." Harry pushed them forward when the voice didn't reappear again. "We need to warm Serena up, or she'll freeze to death before we get there." The three stuck close to Serena, hoping some of their body heat would rub off on her, though all of them were cold, just not to the same extent and they doubted they'd do much good.

They managed to get to the common room and found that it was practically empty, most students upstairs and asleep after so much food. They grabbed up any free blankets and dumped it on Serena after forcing her to sit next to the fire. They joined her for awhile, warming up themselves and refuting the blankets she tried to share, wrapping them tighter around her instead so it was practically impossible for her to get them off of her, or probably even walk. Once the rest were sufficiently warm, they dropped hugs onto Serena before splitting off and leaving her there. There was only one other student left with Serena and she stared into the fire until even he left. Serena tried to pull her arm out of her blankets but she was stuck and rather than fall into the fire trying to get loose, she disappeared and reappeared right next to the blankets before they fell into a heap. It retained the shape it had been before she left the center of it. She folded the blankets and put them back in the corner in a pile. Then she sat down in front of the fire again and stirred the ashes beneath the flames. The flames continued on, the wood still crackled but with one last glance behind her, the flames morphed and continued dancing but not in the center. Susanna's image replaced the empty space.

"Serena, what are you doing?" She questioned in hushed tones, looking around Serena, but not seeing anyone. Serena could see down to Susanna's elbows from the top of her head. "This isn't the proper place or time that you usually try to use this channel. What if someone catches you?"

"I'm in a school full of magic, if anyone did catch me, it wouldn't be that far out of place. I know, I know ok? I have a limited amount of time, but everyone's tired out after today's festivities, so I figured I could get a word in quickly. It happened again-"

"The dream?" Susanna looked concerned. "You never had any before you went off to school. I should pull-"

"No, not the dream. The voice, I heard it again. It was sounding like it was on the hunting path. Are we sure it isn't a-"

"No, you'd feel it and you don't, right?" Susanna and the others were taking care of things in London but they couldn't be with Serena or help her out at the school, it was a waste of resources and energy to go. They just hoped and prayed every time she had to go. "Maybe-"

Serena shook her head. "I'm either going crazy or someone is playing a practical joke on me." Serena sighed and heard a noise. "I have to go. Michi will let me know, right? If she senses anything ahead of time?"

"She always tries." Susanna looked upset and didn't want to disconnect, they both knew the blond woman with the aquamarine tint to her hair always tried but the earliest warning was seconds before the danger appeared. "Take care of yourself, and don't get involved in any more intrigue there, we can protect you from only so much."

"This is part of my life too. I can't help it, mom. I'm tied up in both of these lives, and I have to investigate both. They're my friends and they feel like family. You know how that goes."

Susanna shook her head. "You are only supposed to have sisters, not brothers."

"Life would be boring without boys and no!" Serena cut off her adoptive mother when she looked ready to question after something Serena really didn't want to talk about. "I really have to go. Love you all, take care!" Serena watched the fire merge back together and saw the kiss Susanna sent her way before the image dissipated.

Serena would take her mother's words into consideration, but she doubted she'd actually listen to her. As she said, this was just as much her life as the one she was supposed to currently be on. She couldn't help it if her life took a little side-venture. Besides, she couldn't imagine what her life would be like if she wasn't here at Hogwarts. Harry and the others seemed as adapt to the mischief as she was and she was glad she shared that in common with someone, even if it wasn't always the same type.

Serena went upstairs, clearly disturbed though by hearing a voice that no one else seemed to hear. She changed and crawled into bed, wrapping the covers tightly around her. The first day of November proved to be a chilly start as classes resumed for the week. The day was cold, colder than Serena remembered England being in a long time and had to wear two long sleeved shirts under her robes and pulled out her warmest cloak. She joined the others for the start of class, noticing the absence of Hermione and then the sudden appearance at her elbow like she did everyday, but she learned to ignore it. Harry was concentrating on his work with an intensity, Serena did not often see. Ron was looking at his failed contraption yet again due to his faulty wand. She'd suggested bringing into Hogsemeade and getting it repaired, obviously he could not get out, but his brothers could take it for him. He politely declined the offer and she feared it was because of money.

She'd pay, but she knew it would insult his ego if she offered so she didn't. Harry glanced over at the dispassionate Ron as well with a thoughtful frown. Then he went back to his work, trying to block everything else out. However the day didn't go as peacefully as it promised to. By dinner time there was a new scare in the halls and Harry was caught over the petrified body. Serena had lagged shortly after Harry and stumbled upon the same thing Harry did. However she was saved from having to explain herself as she hid behind a corner. It wasn't something she was particularly proud of, but she'd defend him if it came down to it.

When Serena had heard the voice, she was at least twenty paces behind Harry, not realizing he was following the same thing she was. The voice was leading her towards its next victim and she followed it with a pounding heart. He ignored Nearly Headless Nick a day after his deathday, she had frozen at the sight. Nick was an ashy color, not the typical translucence he usually was. The room was chilly and it continued to cut her to the bone as she looked upon Nick.

His face was surprised and slightly pained and was just at the corner, able to be seen from both sides of the edge's hallway. Serena took herself forward the last few feet to Nick's horizontally floating body, frozen with his head just slightly tilted to the side. She reached out a hand and touched his chest, her hand encountered something squishy. It was his body, it had a firm but giving substance to him like this and he froze her fingers to touch him and she quickly drew her hand back. She liked Nick, he had given her a hand up a couple of times, she always made sure never to touch him in front of anyone else, and he never shared her secret. She didn't know how she was so different, but he wasn't completely pass-through-able for her.

He could be if neither were thinking of it, but if he wanted to play a trick on her, he just had to think really hard about being solid and she'd get stuck or bounce back. It wasn't like he was solid either. Her hand always sank through his almost to the point of passing through, but at the last moment he was able to offer some form of resistance.

This was more than she'd ever seen of him before, something had happened to him to change not only his consistency but also his color. Maybe they effected each other. She knew from other students the only affect any of the ghosts had on them besides causing mischief with non-human materials, was the feeling of walking through ice water. She wondered now if anyone would be able to feel anything on him.

She heard noises and she snatched back her hand and back-pedaled a foot and realized students were coming up on all sides of her, as classes were released for the period and turned to warn Harry and sprinted around the edge, but McGonagall was already taking him away and Filch was looking pleased. Serena vowed she'd help him if it came down to any punishment towards him. She just didn't know where McGonagall was taking him. She had to find someone who could help.

Hermione and Ron was in her way as she slipped past the crowds. They started questioning her on what happened and who it was this time. Serena hadn't seen much of Hermione, who spent a lot of time locked away with books or in the library. "It was Justin from Hufflepuff. Now I have to find Harry or someone-"

The others nodded and went looking for a professor who would believe them enough to convince Dumbledore. Serena missed how they transported Nick out of there, but she would have been very interested to see them create a box out of magic and pulled it along after them while someone pulled out a stretcher for Justin. She missed to the panic the students had been in, and the answer to a question she would have liked answered as the students kept standing in Nick.

McGonagall pulled him to a part of the castle he didn't walk by regularly. "Lemon drop." The wall opened up and he entered the small area, surprised when the floor started moving.

Harry was sent up the rotating staircase and told to wait for Dumbledore, as he would be up shortly. Once up top, Harry argued with the sorting hat as he waited for Dumbledore over which house he belonged in.

"I've said it once already, you would have been great in Slytherin, it would have allowed you to do great things." Harry stated that he wouldn't do well there and then got distracted by the multitude of other things in the room.

Harry tilted his head at the sad looking bird he'd never seen before and reached out a hand to pet it, hoping to appease it's sadness for at least a short while. The bird burst into flames and crumpled to dust. Harry jumped and noticed Dumbledore had just come in. "Headmaster- I didn't-"

"No, it was just her time. Shame you had to be here on a burning day. She's quite glorious in her prime." As Dumbledore spoke, Harry saw a new bird stir from the ashes, the beginning of a life, and it somehow reminded him of Serena. He looked to Dumbledore as he reached out a finger towards her, and the headmaster nodded his approval. Harry stroked the little bird and it leaned into his touch. "The Phoenix is a marvelous bird, Harry. It is reborn out of the ashes of the old one and its tears have magical healing capabilities. Able to carry great loads, more than it's weight." Dumbledore bent slightly to look at his pet more closely and Harry wondered if Fawkes was his familiar just as Crookshanks was Hermione's, Scabbers was Ron's and Hedwing was Harry's. Dumbledore reached out a hand and ran a finger down the back of her head. She was just stirring and couldn't see yet. "Quite a remarkable creature." Dumbledore echoed before the door to his office broke open.

"Professor Dumbledore-sire, wait! Listen, Harry's not the one whose done it. I'd swear on it!"

"Hagrid." Dumbledore raised a hand to ward off Hagrid's appeals. "I don't believe Harry has hurt anyone."

"Right, of course you don't. Oh. I'll just wait then." Hagrid turned and left and if Harry wasn't so surprised by Dumbledore's instant belief in him, he would have questioned Hagrid about the chicken he was carrying with him or how he even managed to fit in the stairwell.

"You don't believe it was me?" Harry questioned, turning to the Headmaster.

"No. But I must ask you something. Is there something you wish to tell me?" Dumbledore asked in such a way that Harry began to wonder if he should tell, if Dumbledore already knew what he was keeping mostly to himself. Harry took a steadying breath before he denied it. He wasn't sure what he'd tell Dumbledore anyways. There was a faint disappointment as Dumbledore sent Harry off to rejoin his classmates.

The reception Harry got on rejoining the Gryffindors was so chilly, even from his own housemates that he stole off up to his quarters. Hermione had tried to stop him to talk to him, but he shook his head. He had wanted to apologize to Justin about what the thought Harry was doing, but now it was too late and _everyone_ thought he was the heir.

In his frustration he dug through his chest, not knowing what he was looking for, but knowing he needed a distraction. His hands encountered the diary he had found a week or two ago in a very suspicious place. He was just turning it around in his hands, he hadn't even looked in it, to see what lay beneath the cover, as he hadn't thought any thing of it at first, but he kept coming back to it, and had to hide it in his robes as someone came up to the room. It was Ron, offering his comfort, in the way only Ron could, by putting his foot in it, but it was endearing to Harry. Harry would have to look through the diary later, for now he had to reassure Ron, who would reassure the others that he wasn't actually going to be kicked out of school.

The last time the chamber of secrets had been opened, a muggle-born had been killed and now every muggle-born, half-blood, mixed-raced, mixed blood and squib and even Neville who thought he was practically one of the latter feared that this time, one of them would suffer the same fate. So far it was going after muggles, Colin, Justin, and Mrs. Norris was just plain odd. Though time down the road it would make since that it was because they were outside of Myrtle's bathroom when it happened. The next time one got petrified, it might not be a muggle-born or if it was, it might not be petrification. Harry knew this better than all others, who didn't know the whole story behind the chamber, Harry didn't know the entire thing either, but he was beginning to understand it better than others.

Ron was fearful for Hermione and defended her whenever Malfoy made a quip about her or his family, which happened on annoying frequency, but it was nice to see at least he had some friends still after this latest incident, people who never doubted his innocence. And because of that, he had to give Ron his time and not investigate the diary further until after Ron was satisfied and asleep.

* * *

EAN: I KNOW Fawkes is a boy bird, and it's a "He" but, I desired to change its gender just because I could and wanted to and in my own mind it makes since, even it doesn't to you. Lol, don't worry about the added letter, there isn't a harm in it is there? Some reason it HAD to be a boy bird other than for canon's sake?


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 2

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Part 6/11

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AN: Yuck that last part was a long one. But on a pleasant note, we're nearing... I haven't a clue actually what we're nearing. It's not halfway point in Chapter 2, as I'm stretching year 2 to encompass both book 2 and 3, and we haven't even unearthed most of the dirty secrets. But this part will remedy a lot of that. I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

* * *

When Harry got down to breakfast that next morning, Ron was egging Serena on. Not very nicely either though. Ron had been forced by Filch to scrub some of the awards again and before Ron hadn't said anything, this time he was more tense and annoyed. "Your father got a badge because he did a good deed for this school. Your father was a headboy of Hogwarts. He's got a whole row of badges honoring him."

"Quit it Ron, I don't have any aspirations of the kind. I'd rather just get by." To be a headboy it meant that Voldemort was a very smart and powerful wizard and to be who he was before he died, it wasn't a surprise.

"I'm just confused how he had everyone so tricked to become a headboy. If I was headmaster at the time, I would never have let him get pass first year." Ron grumbled.

Hermione smacked Ron upside the back of his head. "If you were ever Headmaster, you wouldn't have known what the future held in store. If _Malfoy_ was headmaster, he'd have kicked the lot of us out before even letting the sorting hat near us. Nobody knows what's gong to happen or what people are going to decide to do."

Harry was glad Hermione defended Serena because he was still feeling giddy from what he'd learned before breakfast. Perhaps he should have waited until after he ate, but he had been too curious. He didn't find out much, just the name of the book and the year it was from, and oddly blank pages. Other than that, he still couldn't figure it out, but once he did, he would share his information with the rest of them.

"What is it?" Hermoine asked, looking at Harry's taunt face.

"I found something. It might be a clue. Remember Ron when Malfoy said the Chamber of Secrets had been open fifty years ago and a muggle-born had died?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, so, what of it?" Malfoy hadn't known anything of use beyond that little fact. His father knew more, but wouldn't even share it with his son.

"Well, I found this diary in Myrtle's bathroom the other day. I hadn't a chance to look at it before this morning and it was very curious." Serena's head picked up and looked at him, she had been brooding after Ron's teasing and now she looked very interested. Harry digested the look for a second before continuing. "There's nothing in it, but it dates back to fifty years ago, when the chamber had been opened before. I think there is something in there that might shed some light onto what happened back then."

"Who's diary is it?" Serena asked.

"It doesn't say. All that is written on it is Marvolous Memoirs and the location that the book was printed at, and if he bought it there, then he was muggle-born."

"Marvolous Memoirs?" Hermione repeated. "Interesting title. " She was contemplating the title and the ramifications of what a diary from that time might mean.

"Think he knows who killed one of his own?" Serena questioned.

"Who did die back then anyways?" Ron asked right after her, not even a second to think.

"I don't know, but whoever it was, almost shut down Hogwarts. The better question is, who was it that got caught? Has anyone been expelled and sent to Azkaban? What if they've escaped?"

"Nobody escapes from Azkaban, Hermione." Ron voice was grave as he thought back on the wizard prison everyone had always warned him of, his mother would tell him she'd send him there if he wasn't good when he was younger. His brothers had told him horror stories and said they'd frame him and get him sent there unless he did what they wanted. When he was older, and being the youngest boy, he had finally learned the truth and that he couldn't get sent there for any little thing someone wanted to frame him with, but it still kept him in line, he didn't want to be the one to get imprisoned in Azkaban, it gave him the shivers.

"So there's no hope that the one who opened the chamber fifty years ago is out, and we know it's not Malfoy. So who else could it be? Someone who is the child of the one who opened it? But they might not have been able to have a kid, unless it was a teacher at the time."

"Who had a child." Harry followed Hermione's thoughts.

"Who do we know that doesn't work here anymore?"

"Any of the professors for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Who taught here fifty years ago though?"

"We have a lot of research to do." Serena said with a sad sigh, she was wondering if there would ever be a day that she could sit back and be terrified with the rest of them and let someone else handle everything, but she was too involved with this and it would be irresponsible to just hand it over to someone else and she didn't really want to either. It intrigued her and she was vested in finding out the truth about everything. "There was something else." She recalled.

"There were spiders running away from the scene again."

"Again?" Serena questioned. "You never told me they were there at the first scene."

"Yeah well, I hate spiders." Ron moaned as he sank his head onto his arms. "We're probably going to have to investigate them now, aren't we?"

"Maybe." Hermione agreed.

"You mean I can get out of it?" Ron looked up hopefully.

"If you want to do all the research in the library about why spiders are running away, then yes, you could probably get out of actually looking into where the spiders are going and where they came from."

Ron looked severely tempted and Serena looked at him as if he were nuts. Either way, Ron would either complain about it or not do it or freak out about it. Both ways had to deal with spiders or reading and Serena knew if it were her, she wouldn't want anything to do with snakes. If she was honest with herself, she didn't want anything to do with spiders either.

"We'll have a look at the book Harry, later, see if we can find anything out about it and help unlock the secrets it may hold."

Harry agreed, though he didn't want to part with the book. He couldn't place why. Serena remained mute when the subject turned to who threw the book into Myrtle's toilet. She couldn't share Ginny's part in this until after she talked to the girl first. Then later that night as everyone tried different ways of getting it to work, Ron tossed it to Harry, who missed it and it knocked over a jar of ink. The ink got everywhere and Harry mopped it up as Ron grouched. "We'll never find out what secrets this holds. It's worthless, he just got it for a Christmas present and never used it. Probably wasn't even muggle-born."

Harry turned over the book to clean it, but it was completely ink free. He quickly fanned through the pages, but not a spot on it. He frowned at it in thought as the others argued with Ron about the importance of it and why everything they've done failed between invisible ink and hidden words. Harry worked on it without gaining their attention as he purposely dropped a ink splotch onto the blank page of February. The spot vanished into the sheet and looking past the page, nothing seeped through.

Harry dipped his quill into the ink and wrote: Hello. My name is Harry Potter." He didn't expect anything to happen, but it was worth a shot, it probably needed the correct wording and ink to unlock its secrets, but when words appeared in return, something he did not write, he was enthralled as everyone else gave up and split off to find more research which could help them figure it out. Ron went off to the dormitory to sulk, nobody believed his opinion on the matter.

_Hello Harry, my name is Tom Marvolo._

Harry watched in amazement as it too started to fade away, but he was already writing more. Tom questioned him about how he came upon his diary and seemed amused that someone would go to such lengths as to throw it into a toilet to be rid of the words and glad he used something stronger than ink to hold his memories. Harry wanted to question him on that point, but Tom was already asking him another question and Harry was answering it, and asking another more important one, whether or not Tom knew anything about the Chamber of secrets.

_I know about the chamber of secrets, it was during my third year at Hogwarts. I was there when the one that opened it had gotten caught. You don't have to believe me, let me bring you into my memories. _

Harry hesitated long enough to look around at the empty room and to contemplate what this could mean before he agreed, he watched the pages turn to the correct date and he was pulled into the book. What Tom knew wasn't desired to be shared with anyone, but he knew the truth had to be shared. A muggle-born had died and the story was kept hushed up.

Harry was in the Headmaster's office, but the man behind the desk wasn't Dumbledore, but rather a frail looking old man. A knock on the door before a boy came into the office with them, no one noticed Harry standing between them. "Can you hear me?" Harry questioned, thinking the couldn't see him either. He was ignored.

"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?"

"Ah yes Tom, please come in. I wanted to talk to you about your letter. You know I would have loved to make exceptions for you, but I can't, not after the death of the muggle-born. They're thinking of closing down the school for good."

"If- if they catch the one that did this, if the chamber is no longer open, will this exception be granted?" Tom questioned hopefully.

"You know who opened the chamber of secrets? You know who was behind all of this?" The headmaster Dippet asked keenly, but Tom only shook his head, though his no sounded an awful lot like Harry's only the day before.

"I don't Professor, but-"

"Run along Tom, we can't know anything for sure." The headmaster dismissed Tom and the young boy, much taller than him with hair as dark as his turned and brushed out of the room, clearly unhappy with the answer he'd been given. Harry followed after him quickly and watched Tom pace back and forth, clearly thinking hard and stopped finally coming to a decision.

A tall wizard, taller than Tom by far came down the hallway. "Tom, what are you doing out this late? It is unwise to be traveling these dark passageways alone, especially after what happened." The professor was none other than Dumbledore with a head and beard a bright auburn color, a color Harry had not expected, a color very much in the same family as the Weasley's. Harry's lips twitched up into a smile, pleased on that connection and even the Fawkes bird was the same color Dumbledore once was.

"I'm sorry Professor, I was with the headmaster."

"Is there something you would like to tell me Tom?" Dumbledore's gaze into Tom's eyes was the very same gaze that had looked into Harry's not too long ago. He hadn't lost any strength in that truth pulling look, but Tom's answer was the same as Harry's, and both were lies, and Harry knew it too, as he had watched Tom. Dumbledore was no fool, he knew it as well and looked disappointed. "Well, let's get you back off to your dormitory."

Tom nodded swiftly and turned in a direction towards where his colors distinctly put him in. Slytherin. Harry made no connection between him or any other Toms he might have known, the name was common place enough. But Tom led him someplace other than the Slytherin house, he led him instead towards Snape's dungeon classroom and closed the door just enough to leave a small gap between it and the frame. They waited for hours or at least felt like that before Harry heard another noise in the hall.

He followed Tom out into the hall and down a little ways, there was a large boy near a doorway with a large box. "Come on, I have ter get yer out of here. Come on, it isn't safe for you here any more."

"Rubeus." Tom held his wand out in front of him. "I have to stop you. They're going to close down the school!"

Hagrid snapped around and leaned against the door, closing it with a bang, and leaning on it. He was not yet quite to his full size, but he was still quite impressively large. So far, Harry had seen two of his professors fifty years younger than they were currently. It was kind of trippy. "Tom! He didn't do it! I swear, he wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"He's dangerous. I know you probably didn't mean it, just let him out to get some exercise, and she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But he's hurting people, he's killed."

"NO!" Hagrid shook his head. "He never hurt anyone."

Harry watched in fear as Tom waved his wand and a bright light shone beneath the door and it exploded outwards, knocking Hagrid into the far wall. "I have to turn you in, they have to slaughter it."

"NOOO!" Hagrid toppled Tom over before Tom could raise his wand for a defending attack and it got knocked out of his grasp and onto the floor out of his reach. "Run Aragog! Run! He'd never hurt anyone!"

Harry looked upon his friend sadly, Hagrid had already developed the habit of keeping dangerous animals as his pets and one of them might not have been as nice as Hagrid had imagined it to be, more so than Harry had already witnessed. "He might like you, but you can't keep monsters as your pets, I'm sorry Rubeus." Tom said below Hagrid as teachers came running to the noises in the dead of the night and pulled Hagrid off of Tom.

Tom once standing explained all that he had seen and wiped the blood away from his lip. Tom and Hagrid at completely different ends of the visual spectrum. Hagrid, as always, messy hair and beard, even at his age, extremely large and could be seen as menacing looking, with a lack of eloquence to his speech, even to the point some would think him slower than normal. Harry hated to think that it wouldn't be totally unfounded with how accepting he is about every living creature except those who hated other living creatures and ease of telling secrets he shouldn't tell. Whereas Tom was tall, thin and very good looking, seemed like he could be charming and spoke quite fluently and seeming to be upper class and the headmaster had liked him well enough to bend rules for him.

Harry wondered if Tom was from a long lineage of rich wizards. But Tom couldn't be a wizard born, Harry reminded himself, he chose to use a book bought from a muggle-store, and bewitched it. If Arthur and gotten a-hold of this, Tom might have been fined. Tom was a prefect, for Slytherin, unfortunately, whereas Hagrid was just a typical student, probably the same year or under. Hagrid's only major thing going from him besides his caring demeanor was that he was from Gryffindor and the house was the only outwardly thing against Tom. Tom was the muggle-born and Hagrid was the half-blood, half giant, half wizard.

The headmaster came running down to join the rest of the professors who were looking at Hagrid as if they didn't know what to do with him. There was only the two that he recognized, except for the teacher who was once a man and now a ghost, it was the man who stood with the rest, not the ghost. The headmaster looked at Hagrid solemnly. "We'll have to take your wand, there will be an inquest, you'll be expelled, and you might go to Azkaban for this." Dumbledore stepped in and spoke to the headmaster silently then the headmaster nodded. "Very well, we will try to keep you from Azkaban, but you'll never become a full wizard Hagrid. I'm sorry."

Harry was shucked out of the diary and Tom Marvolo left him with one last thought before Harry slammed the book shut. _At least the dead girl's parents would have the monster explained, the school wouldn't close and the one who opened the Chambers was caught, never to be opened again. Though the monster went back into hiding, waiting for the day it could come again._

Harry went to round up his friends and explained what just happened. Hermione was the first one to argue, Serena had her mouth open, but the words weren't fast enough or framed right to utter them first. "It _can't _be." Hermione defended.

"We all know he likes his dangerous pets. Buckbeak being the last we'd encountered." Ron argued.

"Yeah, thanks to Malfoy." Harry muttered, now knowing how far Hagrid had come to even gain the position of grounds-keeper. To be let into a teacher position and then the chamber of secrets opening up again, was just a shame.

"Hagrid won't be losing his job." Serena argued. "Draco assured me of that." She had spent a lot of time talking to him over this very same issue, telling him again and again it would only upset her to lose Hagrid in that position. She didn't have to threaten him or anything and he promised not to tell his father of the incident. Though he was never satisfied to leaving Harry alone, he didn't tell Serena this, but she heard it from the others that Malfoy wanted Arthur to lose his job, but then they got back at him by telling Arthur about the dining room floorboards. Serena stayed well out of the way on that little fight. She had nothing to do with it, and shouldn't know anything about either side of it, because it would have given her privileged information she didn't garnish from Draco. Draco never spoke ill of Harry or the others in her circle of hearing anymore. She was glad for it, but also feared it meant that she would lose valuable information that way.

"_Draco's word._" Ron pulled a snit. "Means a load of bullocks to me."

Serena groaned in frustration and threw a pillow at Ron's head from off the couch. They were in a small corner, with nobody within hearing distance, and after Justin, nobody ventured near Harry. All feared he was the heir of Slytherin.

"It's besides the point, there's a piece missing, it ties everything together." Hermione argued. "I just can't place it yet. The spiders, the voice, the petrification, and how they got petrified, I just can't crack it yet. This book is just a thing to pull us off track. Harry don't use it anymore. I don't like it."

Harry reluctantly agreed, they wanted him to get rid of it, but he ignored it, pretending to agree, but hanging onto it anyways. Ginny came into the common room and her eyes latched onto the book and looked at it terrified and then scrambled away before anyone could understand what her problem was.

"He sounds like a snitch to me." Ron grumbled, ignoring the puzzling behavior of his sister.

"The monster had killed someone. What would any of us do? Besides, he really did look like he regretted having to do it. I think he liked Hagrid, he was even contemplating whether to turn him in before deciding to confront him. He didn't want to hurt Hagrid or get Hagrid kicked out. Perhaps he thought that he could get the monster taken care of and let Hagrid continue on. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Harry added as a defense.

Serena was biting her bottom lip, looking at the book as if something had gnawed at the edge of her conscious, it was similar to how Harry felt about the book. She asked to see it and as soon as she touched it, she handed it back. "You have to get rid of that thing Harry, it's bad."

She must not have been feeling the same thing he had then, she distrusted it, while he wanted to get to know it better. "I already agreed." But first he wanted to learn everything he could from it.

Serena knew why she didn't like the book, it had toyed with her as something familiar, and touching it she knew it was pure evil. It was addicting and could kill and it might only be a book, but bewitched books had done awful things to people in the past, as Ron so cheerfully pointed out. Serena excused herself to go find Ginny, Ginny had thrown the book into the toilet, even if the others didn't know it. Ginny probably thought it was a regular diary at first, and had to know something about the book, something that she wasn't telling the rest of them, something the rest didn't know. There were a lot of secrets going on between members of the same house, but Serena couldn't share her feelings yet. Had to confirm them for herself first.

She knocked on the door to the first year girls' room and one of them let her in as downstairs they were still trying to figure everything out. Serena knew it wouldn't be accomplished tonight, they were too tired and frazzled. Serena moved towards Ginny who had her head underneath a pillow and reached out a hand to touch Ginny's, to let her know she was there and remove the pillow but as soon as Serena touched Ginny she pulled back as if burned. Looking down at her fingers, she saw it was true and Ginny whipped around to look at Serena, surprise etched into her features as well.

Serena sank to her knees beside Ginny's bed and without touching her searched Ginny's eyes. She'd touched Ginny before this, hadn't she? Hadn't she? Before the diary ever showed up, yes, she had to. After the diary showed up and Ginny began using it? Of course... right? This must just be because she had now touched the diary and had made the link between the girl and the book. Was it something more though? Serena couldn't be sure, and it was there, just out of reach on what that more was.

Ginny's eyes were a mixture of emotions, sad, fearful, unsure and tired, among others. Serena braved to reach out again and held Ginny's hand, it was ice cold and it burned Serena's flesh as she held it in comfort. Ginny's hand started warming as Serena's started getting colder, but it still burned. "You'll be all right." Serena promised. "I'll make sure of it."

"But there's so much- I haven't even-"

Serena shook her head. "Just don't make things worse, ok? I'll figure it all out and help you. Stay away from all of this."

Ginny bit her lip, she was looking less tired and even her slight coloring was coming back from the ashy white that looked almost like death. Serena was growing tired as she knelt there, feeling weaker and even a touch sick. Ginny pulled Serena's hand off of her with her other one. "I'm sorry. Don't do this. It's too dangerous."

Serena shook her head drowsily. "Promise me you'll stay out of it, don't do yourself any more harm."

"I'll try not to, but it isn't my choice. I've tried fighting it, but I failed, I threw it into the toilet to lose it but it made me go searching for it again in the bathroom and it didn't stop it from getting to Justin and Nick. Now that I _know_ where it is-"

"Even if I hide it somewhere else?"

Ginny shook her head and looked down at her hand. "It'll probably be found. It was just a fluke I never thought to look in Harry's stuff."

Serena put the burnt hand against Ginny's face, and tilted it up to look at her as she stood, swaying on her feet. "_Try_, try very hard not to do it, not to do anything related to this business. Please, I'm begging you. I fear for what will happen if you don't."

"Someone will die." Ginny looked morose at the thought. It's what she had been trying to avoid all along.

Serena looked at her sadly and shook her head. "Maybe even more than someone."

Serena left Ginny with that thought, letting it whirl in her head with all the possible ramification to a statement so bold and complex while Serena made her way back to her dormitory swaying on her feet and falling into the walls like a drunken sailor, not even able to stay against one wall long enough to trail it or let it guide her, being so unsteady with her feet.

Hermione looked at her when she came into their room for the second year girls and hopped to her feet as Serena toppled over a chest and landed on her back harshly. The girl who owned it peered down at Serena in concern from her bed, having moved to her knees to look over the foot of the bed's railing. Hermione was at her side and helping her stand up and put Serena's arm over her shoulder to bring her to her bed and sat her on it. Serena still swayed sitting and almost fell onto her side.

The curly-haired brunette frowned down at her in utter dismay. "What happened to you? Did you get a drink from someone in another dormitory? You're very off-balanced, even for yourself."

"Can you pull out some of that candy-"

"That probably isn't a good mix." Hermione was trying to rearrange her feet to at least be propped up on the bed, and wanting to pull the covers over her, so Serena could sleep it off, but Serena shook her head negatively.

"I need the candy. It'll help, it'll give me a boost."

"So you can be awake and hyper in your underage drunken state?" Hermione was seriously put out at the thought that Serena would do such a thing, she had seemed so innocent and straight-laced only a half hour ago. Hermione had thought Serena was going to bed, but she wasn't in the room and hadn't worried as it was Serena-like to do such things. Now though, Hermione wondered who had been able to sneak in alcohol and let Serena have it under the nose of the prefects, Percy and every other official in the house.

"No, please. The candy, or some type of food."

Hermione gave in, because Serena had a point. Food did help reduce the effects of alcohol and might sober her up faster. So Hermione dug into Serena's chest and pulled out the bag of treats Serena had shared with her earlier this semester. She dumped it onto Serena's lap, frustrated and upset that Serena had betrayed her confidences with something so simple as reckless under-age drinking. It would have been different if she had strayed close to the edge of getting their house points taken away if it was something good she was doing it for, or if she wasn't underage but drunk. Serena was fumbling around with the treats too much to do any good, and seemed unable to use one of her hands and Hermione huffed and sank down to open one for her and shoved it into the hand Serena wasn't trying to use. Hermione gasped as she looked at it closer. "Serena, it's black!" Serena's entire palm was burnt to a crisp and on the back was a large splotch and then gaps further down that looked distinctively like finger markings of someone putting their hand over Serena's. The one on the back of her hand wasn't so dark, it was just slightly pink, but looked as if it could hurt too. "What happened?"

There wasn't an answer at first, because as Hermione investigated Serena's hand, she had used the time to shove the food that had been opened for her into her mouth. She was still chewing when asked the question and she shrugged, not wanting to share. Her vision wasn't swimming or even dizzying, her body was just at a very low energy and she just wanted to eat and crawl into bed. It would be better in time, and maybe she might get lucky and be called off tomorrow morning after a full night's rest and it'd be healed by the time she got back. Hermione was still looking at her, determined not to give in until she got some type of answer and Serena sighed miserably. "I burnt it, ok? I was attempting some tricky spell I learned and it created a fireman and he got a hold of my hand before I could get rid of it." She hoped that it was plausible, she didn't know if there really was a spell like that, and if there was, would Hermione know it?

There was a long measuring look before she was let off the hook. "Where did you learn something like that, and why would you attempt it without knowing what it was going to do?"

Serena shrugged. "I thought it was something else." It was tricky to mention fire with Hermione, who had specialized in creating water-proof fires in any location without damaging the structure below or around it. She was good at all sorts of fire tricks, portable and stable.

"The swaying and the commotion you put on here?" They were speaking in low whispers, and now that Hermione was told it wasn't alcohol, she realized Serena wasn't giving off the other signs of it. She didn't have unstable eyes, or pupils dilated too far or slurred speech, or speaking over the top loud because she thought she was being quiet. Though she was being quiet without trying, she just didn't have the energy to talk loudly.

"I hit my head." Serena munched on another bar before curling up on her side, and promptly falling asleep, the rest of the bar clasped tightly in her hand. Hermione cleared away the rest of the treats and put them in the trunk and pulled the blankets over Serena's fully-clothed body. That was one lie that Hermione did not buy, because a lot of the same side-effect of being hit on the head were the same as being drunk, except the volume.

Next time they were going to discuss something in the common room after dinner and studying, Hermione would insist that everyone get dressed in pajamas first, because there were three of them now who had fallen asleep either in the common room or upstairs without changing out of their school uniforms first.

Hermione watched over Serena for an hour, at first just watching her to make sure there were no changes to her breathing and Serena showed no signs of waking up. Serena actually kind of scared her once she realized it wasn't just too much alcohol, even though that would be scary too if it _too_ much. Hermione debated whether or not to take her to Madame Pomfrey, as the school health administrator, she would be able to help Serena, no matter what it was, and she didn't ask a lot of questions. Almost rather not wanting to know how they got themselves into whatever situation they were in.

After awhile Hermione pulled open a book she had been reading outside of school work and kept an eye on Serena between paragraphs. There was no change in her health and a few chapters into her book, and still no clue from it to what she was missing or Serena's breathing, Hermione put down the book. The title gleamed back at her : Magical Snakes. She put out her light and drew the four posters around Serena and her own, except for the two between her and Serena. She knew with her worrying over her friend, who she had felt wrongly upset towards, she would be waking up at all hours of the night to check on her, and wanted a clear view if somehow Serena suddenly swelled up to five times her size and turned neon purple, between the spaces her eyes weren't open. It was an irrational fear, but somehow oddly attainable in Hermione's sleep-clogged brain. She was worrying about too many things and more thinks kept getting piled on to her already heaping mound. There really wasn't enough time in a day, not even with her extra help.

–

The quad-squad, as some of the students had taken to calling them, and the quad-squad found it amusing, were eating breakfast in the dining hall. Serena was slouched over the table, leaning heavily on her right arm as she ate haphazardly with her left. Good thing she chose to eat biscuits rather than porridge this morning. Harry and Ron were looking at her confused and Hermione kept nudging her whenever she drifted off to sleep. "What's wrong with her?" Ron questioned when Serena's head drooped yet again.

"Tired." Serena mumbled out pass the biscuit at her lips, forgetting she was trying to eat it.

Lips thinning in dislike, Hermione looked an awful lot like Professor McGonagall at that moment. "She's been like this since last night after I was already in our room." Hermione pushed Serena into a more upright position. "I'm concerned about her."

Serena slouched towards her right again, her head getting closer to the table. "Maybe you should have just let her sleep?" Ron suggested helpfully.

"I would have, but we have classes." The four of them were at the very end of the table while there was a huge gap between them and the nearest student.

The twins had enjoyed the idea that _Harry_ could possibly be the heir and had made matters more amusing in their complete disregard of the idea by mocking it in shoving it everyone's faces, some people were starting to get the ludicrousness of it.

The twins though were at the far opposite end of the table, not by design or avoidance, just that they were flirting with some of the girls in their year, having to work down the years as they kept getting denied, but they kept trying and kept succeeding after the first denial before succumbing and then denying again. It was kind of a fun dance to watch, and the twins only had the girls from year two and year one left if they got through this year's third years. They had burned bridges with the fact that they had chased after the fourth years their first year, the new fourth years their second year and now only had the year ahead of them and their year for older girls before they had to start looking at the younger.

The way they were going, they'd be stuck with first years second semester as their only hope, and if they went through them before they then became fourth years, they'd have to look outside of their house.

Hermione brought their full attention back to the blond who rounded out their mixture of hair colors nicely by pulling Serena's hand away from her head and holding it out to them. Her head fell onto her shoulder and didn't seem to awaken at all. "Look at this." There was a very faint pink tint to the outside of her and and inside it was pulsing red. "Well... that's odd."

"The fact that she's hurt?" Ron squeaked. Bringing his hand out to touch the angry flesh. Serena jerked awake and realized they were looking at her hand and pulled it back, so they couldn't look any closer and put it under the table, dropping her food and using her other hand as a prop to keep her from falling back asleep on it.

"What's the big deal?" She grouched, glancing down at it and relieved that it was better. Sleep and food did wonders for her body and luckily it hadn't been that bad of an injury.

"Why are you hurt?" Ron demanded, trying to grab at her arm to pull it back onto the table. "Is this why you're so tired?"

"How did it change colors so quickly? Last night it was almost solid black!"

Serena's lips compressed into a frown, she wasn't going to tell them. She'd already tried to make up a lie to Hermione and it wasn't bought, she wasn't going to figure out a better one. They'd just have to accept she wasn't going to tell them everything. "Black?" Harry whispered. "But-" His eyes sharpened in on her, questioning and she shook her head negatively.

Neville came bursting into the dining hall, he had gone back upstairs to get a few books, he had forgotten them and he stopped by the quad-squad. "Harry, I don't know who did it, but you better come quick. Come on!"

The five of them raced upstairs, Serena lagging slightly behind, followed Neville's lead, they stopped just inside the year two's room. The entire place looked like it had been hit by a tornado, but it was only Harry's stuff that had been touched. Hedwing looked upset at her post by his bed, she had come to greet him with a package that morning and hadn't left yet. Harry had promised her a treat after he ate breakfast. Serena leaned against the doorway as the rest of them entered the room more and Harry instantly recognizing what they could possibly be after.

"It had to be a Gryffindor, nobody else knows the password." Hermione pointed out logically.

"Could have been someone who wanted to send a message, you being perceived as the heir and all." Ron piped in, looking at it with utter disgust. "Though it looks more like they were after something."

"And they found it." Harry determined, after shifting through some of the piles that could possibly be hiding something. Serena knew what was lost and was severely disappointed that Ginny hadn't even lasted a day before she went after the book. "They got Marvolo's book."

"Who could have done such a thing?" Neville wondered.

Harry automatically went to the wrong thought, but even though Serena knew it was wrong, it was still a plausible explanation and something worth looking into, she couldn't be a hundred percent sure, she wasn't here to witness it herself. "Dobby." Harry hissed. "He doesn't want me stopping this."

"Dobby is the Malfoy's servant." Ron added, nobody cared if Neville overheard them right now. He'd probably be clueless or forget or might even help them. "Maybe this is the real reason he didn't want you here, he didn't want you to get a hold of the book."

"I say good riddance, let someone else deal with the book." Hermione disagreed. "I had a bad feeling about that thing as soon as it pointed towards Hagrid being the culprit."

Serena had started to push Neville out of the room when Ron started speaking, because this was part of the story that nobody would be able to explain and closed the door and started picking up some of the sheets of paper lying strewn on the floor. She got a decent pile before handing it to Harry. "Well, we don't know anything for sure, let us just take it one step at a time and begin with dealing with this mess."

Harry took the papers from her with a grateful smile, she was keeping her head in this and thinking about the next step. Serena though didn't tell Harry what she planned on doing next, because she wasn't quite sure herself. But first she had to get through today's classes without falling asleep and getting points deducted. She couldn't help Ginny again for a while, and wasn't even sure what would happen if she did, would that only make matters worse?

"So what are we going to do now?" Ron questioned.

"I'm going to go to the library." Hermione announced. "See if I can find a clue that would explain the book and why someone would want to steal it."

"He did say people wouldn't want to hear what he remembered. Maybe there was more in it besides just the chamber of secrets and someone wanted to keep it from us or learn more themselves."

Everyone pondered Harry's thoughts and Hermione still bid goodbye to the rest so she could go check it out. Neither Ron nor Hermione were terribly sad that it was gone. Serena was glad it was out of Harry's possession but was upset it was returned to Ginny's.

Harry looked to Serena and Ron for the next step. "What do you guys think we should do now?"

"Go to class?" Serena suggested lightly, lifting her shoulders, she hadn't anything better planned and they were increasingly late to their first class of the day. Luckily the professor teaching it wouldn't notice. "Tonight we'll figure some type of plan out."

Ron nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Harry began to wonder if the new owner of the book knew anything about what to do with it and how they were going to use the information the would gain. Harry began worrying about Hagrid as well, for if Tom told the same story to anyone else that wanted to hear, he would be in big trouble if they thought he was doing it again.

Harry did not pay any attention to any of his classes, causing several mistakes throughout the day and annoying several teachers, chief among which was Snape. "If you cannot follow a simple potion like this, you will have no future in any type of career!"

Harry ducked his head and regretted his thoughts from keeping on the task at hand. But he couldn't help wondering what it was that connected all of these things.

–

It was nearing Saturday before anyone had any idea about what to do and Saturday was going to be a very busy day for the quad-squad, well, Harry more so than any of the others. He had Quidditch in the afternoon and then afterward, depending on whether they won or not, would have a little party and then the four of them would head out to Hagrids.

Serena didn't tell anyone that she had already gone there and talked to Hagrid by herself. She knew he didn't do anything and had gotten his tale of woe. She felt bad for him, he had been about her age when he got kicked out, though it had been in the latter half of the year, it was still a horrible time to be removed from school. Had it been over a year later, he could have been expelled and still been able to practice magic legally. Or at least more legally.

Saturday came and as everyone was heading down to the Quidditch field, the two of them heard the voice again, but she wasn't standing with them when Harry said so. She was feeling queasy again and knew she was needed elsewhere. It was very unfortunate timing and so she missed Hermione's eyes widening as she put everything together, everything must have clicked. She'd had all the pieces and had known they had all fit together, but she suddenly realized the small sliver she was missing and even she might not have known the entire story. She had called out a goodbye to the boys as she ran towards the library to double check and make sure she got the right answer.

Harry and Ron looked everywhere for Serena, but didn't see her and Ron prodded Harry out, he had to go to the game, he was in it. Harry had made it, thrown on his uniform and was out on the field just in time for the warm up whistle. There was a loud noise that caught everyone's attention as McGonagall came onto the field to announce that Quidditch was canceled and everyone was to return to their respective house common rooms to await further instructions.

Wood spent time trying to argue with her but she ordered everyone out and Harry's gut sank as he realized the voice had indeed found a prey, did it eat this time like it desired?

McGonagall slapped a hand onto Harry's shoulder to stop him. "You'd best come with me."

"But professor!" Harry tried to protest, there was no way he could be the one this time. Every other time was circumstantial. He wasn't even near it this time, if that's what this was all about.

"Come on. You two might as well come as well." McGonagall said to people behind him and Harry careened his neck around to see who she was talking to and Ron was surprised to see Serena by his elbow, as much as Harry was.

"Where've you been?" Ron demanded.

"I couldn't get to the seat next to you before we were moving again." Serena countered with a soft rebuttal. She couldn't tell him where she'd been until just in time to see them with McGonagall.

They were led towards the hospital wing as everyone was still complaining and moving towards the school, with glances back towards the three questioning. "This might come as a shock to you." McGonagall was speaking kindly. "There's been another double petrification." She led them inside and Madame Pomfrey was leaning over a Ravenclaw girl but Ron's eyes had fastened first onto the one they were supposed to feel shocked by.

"Hermione!" Ron was furious and he raced to her side, her eyes were glassy and she was stuck in the same position she had been in.

The three hurried over to her and all touched whatever flesh was unconcealed. Harry was more curious as to whether or not it was the same as what had happened to Justin and Ron was trying to be comforting to Hermione, whether she could hear or feel him or not. Serena just wanted to reassure herself that Hermione was still alive and encountering the slightly chilled flesh, but seeking deeper and realizing Hermione was still in there, lost but there, she let out a breath of relief, and could feel the heartbeat through her fingers, the slightly warm feeling underneath the original chill. It wasn't like with Ginny, her hand didn't burn, even without attempting to help. She would have tried with Hermione but it would spark too many questions from too many people, people she couldn't control as easily as just asking not to breath a word of it or ignoring them. Besides, the mandrakes would be ready any day now and they'd be taken care of. "She's still alive Harry."

The others knew it too, but couldn't be as confident as she was. McGonagall looked at Serena a moment, as if suddenly realizing the girl existed and was actually in her house, before shaking her head and looking down at an object she wanted to pick up. "She was holding this. Does this mean anything to any of you?"

The three of them didn't have the slightest idea and told her so. Serena frowned over the object, Hermione had known something she didn't. Had probably known a few things she didn't, especially about this. If she was carrying that it probably meant that she had figured out another piece of the puzzle. "Can I have it?" Serena questioned silently. She had always tried to avoid being in McGonagall's center of attention. Snape didn't like Serena, but at least he was someone she knew wouldn't chuck her out. He had too much baggage with her father to do so. McGonagall didn't have that baggage, and while she was a fairer teacher, and looked out for her students with slight bias, she didn't have any reason to really like Serena either. She had a lot of reasons to dislike her.

McGonagall looked at Serena in surprise for a moment before nodding. "I don't see why not." She handed it over. "Miss Riddle, if this monster is caught and the chamber is closed up, and the school remains open for another term afterward, I would wish to speak to you privately about a matter."

"That is a lot of ifs, Professor. But if I am still at this school when this matter is behind us, I would oblige." Serena looked away from McGonagall towards the small hand mirror curiously. The boys were frowning at her, obviously wondering what was going on.

"Is it just me, or are girls a lot smarter that boys?" Ron whispered to Harry when they were escorted back to their house with McGonagall.

"I think it's proven in our little foursome. Though I wouldn't say _smarter_." Ron laughed, it was probably more accurate to say observant and determined. "Well... Hermione definitely is."

Though neither could deny Serena had somehow managed to figure out more than them and refrain from sharing or letting any of it slip. She also deftly sidestepped McGonagall's inquiry neatly. They didn't know why she would even need to, but she obviously felt it wise to do so.

McGonagall laid out the new rules, as decreed by Dumbledore about how each student should now go about their day. No one was to be allowed in the halls without a teacher escorting them to their next class, dining hall, bathroom or common room. No one would be allowed out after six. All evening activities were now canceled and it looked like some of the day ones were to be as well. They were on lock-down mode and McGonagall was very emotional about the state that the school might be in.

Then she left.

There was much clamor about the chamber of secrets and discussion on how it all happened. A lot of the boys were in agreement that it was Slytherins behind it, and Slytherins who should be tossed out and let the rest of the school go on in peace.

Percy didn't say anything, looking terribly upset and sitting behind the rest. "Jessica was a Prefect too, the girl from Ravenclaw." Ron whispered over to Harry.

"And Percy's girlfriend." Serena added, also in a whisper, though she was feigning it in mocking of Ron's attempt to be subtle. With all the commotion, it was a wonder anyone could hear over the others.

Ron visibly reacted to that one. "How'd you know that?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "You really are dimwitted, aren't you? He's been mooning over her since the summer time."

"_That's_ what he was so secretive about? Why he wouldn't let me use his owl? I had to use Errol all that time because he wanted to send _love_ letters?" Ron started cracking up. "Ooh, wait till Fred and George hear about this!"

Serena jabbed her elbow into Ron's ribs. "I don't _think_ that right now would be a good time to start in on Percy about Jessica."

He got her point, he wasn't thinking, Jessica had gotten petrified, just like Hermione. He would have hated someone teasing him about her at this time. Or any time until she got better and back to her annoying self.

Harry thought it was odd that both Ron and Percy's interest, even if Ron didn't know it yet, were victims of the attacks.

Serena's eyes widened as she finally understood what was going on, at least victim-wise. Though it might not have been conscious on Ginny's part. Jessica and Hermione, two people Ginny would talk about, people who were close to her brothers and or Harry. It was just ironic that Jessica was the one who was asked for directions by Harry and Ron when they were pretending to be Crabbe and Goyle, she was a haughty prefect, perfect for Percy though. Collin, someone who probably annoyed Ginny because he had taken up a lot of Harry's attention, a lot of times when Ginny was trying to get his attention as well. Mrs Norris, because Ginny liked cats, and probably even liked this cat, despite all the trouble she caused students. Justin, because he had been avoiding Harry and causing quite a stir in the rest of the student body. Ginny was probably disgusted with Justin for causing Harry all the mess, and even if she didn't reference Harry on any of these things, it was something she still would have written about, him almost being attacked by Malfoy's snake and fear he was next, and he was. All of them were muggle-born, except Nick and Norris, but those two were just bystanders in other attacks. Mrs. Norris made the least sense, even if Ginny referenced her... who was the muggle-born that died fifty years ago? Serena felt like that would answer a lot of her questions and speculations.

The three of them grabbed a few of the steps leading up to the boys dormitory. "I just can't figure out what Hermione was doing with this." Serena pulled out the mirror. "She wouldn't just be carrying it around for the hell of it."

"Maybe it had something to do with anything she might have found out." Ron speculated. "She did have to run quickly to the library."

"I wish she had time to tell us. She had learned so much more than we could ever hope to guess at and now she can't share." Harry sighed, upset.

"Maybe she left us a clue in the library." Serena suggested.

"Shall we take a midnight stroll into the dusty corridors of the library?" Ron's voice turned darker, wanting to make it sound good.

"I think we might just have us a point of reference to start with." Harry agreed. "Do you want to meet us by the portrait after everyone's gone to sleep?" He barely finished asking when she was nodding. She wanted to do anything she could to help finish this.

It was nerve racking to go to the library that night. It wasn't a place students were allowed to go to anymore and it was the latest crime scene and so it wasn't supposed to be disturbed, until the teachers could figure out at least what the students were doing there when they should have been at a Quidditch meet. However tonight it was left untouched until morning could shed new light on it. The idea that they could encounter anything there at night wasn't what worried the three hidden underneath Harry's invisibility cloak. No, it was the fact that the hallways were teeming with life, something that this time of night never had before. There were teachers and prefects walking the hallways in twos, being each others look out and backup in case anything else tried to happen tonight.

"You don't hear anything, do you Harry?" Ron asked softly and Harry shook his head, he heard nothing. Serena pondered that for a split second before Ron cursed as he stubbed his toe just in time that Snape sneezed. They all tensed up, waiting for Snape's all-knowing eyes to turn to them, but he continued with his search for any monster or chamber of secrets. Serena relaxed when Snape didn't try to probe her mind or anyone else, perhaps he couldn't unless he was looking directly at the person, knowing who it was he was looking at. Or maybe it was just a Serena-Snape thing that she had the unfortunate luck of being on the other end.

The night ended up being a bust, as there was no good idea of where to even begin looking for a clue. They hadn't found the body, so didn't know where she was near or how she was even petrified.

Serena scrunched her face up as she thought that one through later that night as she lay in bed thinking and spinning the mirror around in her hand, willing an answer to come to her from it. It was now raining outside and a flash of lightning caught the surface of the mirror and reflect it back towards her, blinding her for a second. She sat up in surprise as things began falling into place.

Hermione was looking down at her hand, which was held out at an angle. She was looking into the mirror. Serena racked her brain for any other similarity between the petrified students and other beings. Mrs. Norris, was strung up around a lamp post, she had to have been placed there, even if she had jumped to it, the way she would found would not have made any type of sense unless she as moved after petrification. How was she petrified? There were spiders, Harry told her, and he had almost fallen in water before he saw her and the words that would not be scrubbed out. Had seen the words through the water first before looking up to read them correctly.

Colin had been looking through his camera, Harry also supplied that one. He had to be looking through the viewer and if it really was an old school camera, it would have multiple reflective lens so the image could be seen the correct way for the brain to register it.

Justin had been near Nearly-headless Nick. Nick had been facing a hallway, whatever had petrified Justin and done whatever it had to the already dead Nearly-Headless Nick, had to come from around the corner, and Justin had seen it _through_ Nick. Had to have, it only made sense that way.

Serena didn't know what Jessica had seen or how she had seen it without being dead, she must have caught sight of it through a reflection of something in the library, whether it was a mirror or a window or a reflective surface.

Serena laid back down on the bed. It really didn't help, knowing how they were petrified, because even though she now knew you couldn't look at it directly, she didn't know if it was the creature itself you couldn't look at, like Medusa or if it had to look at you back or what exactly. All Serena knew, was she was keeping the mirror close to her and would begin a rumor to keep eyes on reflections. Nobody would trace it back to her, and hoped nobody would get hurt before they could figure out the rest of the riddle.

Serena flopped over onto her stomach. One would think with the last name Riddle, she would be good at solving these puzzles. How did Ginny and her references to these people and the book and the monster and the reflections have in common? Good thing most people didn't see muggle television and hardly any of the muggle-born would be up on their American pop culture. Harley had seen fit to tease her about her last name, basing it off of the Batman phenomenon she had grown up with before coming to Britain and staying on with the other two females of the house, before Serena was even born, before she was even found. Harley had called her the Riddler for awhile, and challenged her to tackle different mind games. Serena hadn't really liked to play them on people or have people play them on her, so Harley just presented her with brain puzzles, and some she figured out easily and others took her forever. She never had so many clues before though and no way to connect them all.

Serena turned her head to rest it on its side and another flash of light illuminated the room, the light catching the glittering wording on the binding of the latest book Hermione had been reading on the side-table between them. _Magical Snakes_, Serena looked around her but every other girl was still sleeping and she reached over to slide it off the table. She would have to look at it in the morning. Tomorrow was Sunday, so everyone with the new rules would be expected to stay indoors and stay in their houses unless needing to use the loo.

Reading the book that had caught Serena's attention because of its connection to her and Harry had been put off in the morning as she felt another shift in the earth and she disappeared before anyone woke up. If things kept on like this, she'd be no use to Harry or Ron. She was coming back when she saw wizards arriving by broom and she popped inside the castle and followed them through deserted rooms until she had only one option left and she appeared across from the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

* * *

The Ministry of Magic was an odd group of people, they weren't particularly attractive, and many of them seemed more mousy and unsure of themselves, than people in charge of an entire realm of people. Serena's first glimpse of the all powerful ministry had her instantly disliking them, though she couldn't put her finger on it. She received an odd glance from the shortest one in response but it was quickly moved away from her as he asked the headmaster a question and Dumbledore responded as they stepped onto the stairs.

Harry came to where Serena was leaning against the castle wall, with her arms crossed over her chest and glowering into the space she had seen the ministry disappear to. Harry hesitated before asking, he'd never seen her so upset. "Why are you glaring at a statue?"

"Why are you here Harry?" She demanded instead.

Harry could have told her that he and Ron were going to the bathroom without the teachers' approval or knowledge, but he thought better of it. They had used the cloak to get to Myrtle's bathroom so they could have some breathing room to talk without being sat upon by any of the other Gryffindor housemates, never before had all of them been stuck in one little area when they weren't sleeping.

"I was looking for you." He wasn't even able to begin to explain why, when she cut him off. He was wondering what she was doing here too and how she got out, nobody had seen her leave this morning and she hadn't been there when anyone woke up. It was odd having the two beds next to each other empty for some of the second years who had lost Hermione and now Serena had been missing too.

"Did Dumbledore send for you?" She asked, her whole body rigid with tension.

"No, I stumbled upon you standing here. The teachers will be livid if they find you out here alone."

"I'll just say I got lost when we were walking in a group down this hallway." She didn't plan on being caught, she had seen Harry come, and Dumbledore had glanced at her and then away. He wouldn't turn her over to them, if they didn't ask for her first. It didn't seem like any of the others recognized her and she began to wonder how far out the knowledge of her birth ran. Some celebrities, Malfoys and the students and teachers at Hogwarts, once hearing her name had made the connection. But no one who was a witch or wizard that looked at her saw the connection, not like they did with Harry. Then again, she didn't have a visible scar on her forehead for everyone to see.

"What are you doing here, Serena? Why were you wondering if I was called up?"

"You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be anywhere near this thing. Leave." She didn't look towards him once and she seemed to remember why she was asking about his arrival. Harry stood there for a moment debating whether he should tell her the rest or not. He didn't understand why she was acting like this, but she still had a right to know.

"I think Dumbledore sent a message on ahead to Hagrid. He opened the chamber last time, I don't think he did it this time."

Serena's eyes finally flickered away from the golden phoenix to look at Harry, she floundered for a minute in her shock and fear for the giant almost-professor before her eyes hardened and she was glaring again. "Of course they would." She hissed. "I thought they'd go after you, but no, Hagrid is less of a public figure, less people who will fight for him. They already blamed him once for this, so what if he's been here nearly all that time and it hasn't been opened for fifty years."

"What do you know, Serena?" Harry asked, looking over her face, waiting for the reason she was suddenly so angry, and who she was angry with. "Who is after Hagrid?"

"The ministry, they're looking for a scapegoat to blame what is happening on. They'll package it up and appease the parents and fearful students, but it won't end there, they won't look deeper and if it continues to occur, they'll pick off their enemies and their worries one by one until we won't even recognize the wizarding world anymore." Serena snorted. "Then again, we won't be around long enough to see it."

"How do you know all of this?" Harry questioned, he hadn't even known the ministry was here.

"From what you've told me, what I put together on my own, what little I figured out from Hermione's latest choice in night-time reading, without actually reading it yet and I looked up old newspaper articles, trying to find out what happened fifty years ago that wasn't written in a textbook.

"What did you find out?" Harry demanded, they would have to talk about with-holding vital information, Hermione too, she couldn't share her thoughts before running off and now they'd never know what attacked her!

"Go talk to Hagrid, Harry, right now, before its too late!" She urged. "Take Ron with you."

She pushed away from the wall. "Where are you going?" Harry looked alarmed when she headed in the wrong direction to do so.

"To go find out from an inside source. I am going to go talk to Malfoy, see if he knows anything about this surprise visit by the ministry."

"We don't need him."

"We don't, I'm sure we could find out what's happening as it plays out or after the fact. But if he or his father is behind all of this, I'd rather know now. I'd rather know who I can trust and who I can't, even with the matter of keeping Hagrid out of trouble. Once I know that, I can keep a better eye on him and know when he's about to do something stupid. Wouldn't you rather be able to stop it before it gets off the ground?"

It was the age old adage of keeping friends close but enemies closer. Harry couldn't begrudge her of that connection, Malfoy was blood and she would use it to do right by the rest of the population. He just wished that in doing so, she wouldn't accidentally leave out vital information for her friends, he felt out of the loop with some of this. "What am I then a friend, or an enemy that you're watching?" Harry grumbled.

Serena's lips twitched up. "A friend of course. Never anything else. I trust you Harry, and I willingly tell you everything I can. Do you trust me?"

He didn't have a chance to say anything in response, as she disappeared around the corner. It was a dangerous game she was playing. He'd met Lucius Malfoy, knew what they did to their house-elf and the entire family gave him the heeby-geebies. They were a dark and dangerous family and if they thought for one second Serena was messing with them or wasn't playing straight, she'd be in a lot of trouble. She was close to Harry and the others publicly, maybe she shared information with them to keep them from being too suspicious, maybe they endorsed her efforts, though Harry didn't think so. If the Malfoys thought that she was going against them, he doubted it would matter who her parents were. Though he couldn't cut her out from the danger either, she wanted to be a part of their friendship and had proven to be a valuable asset and he wanted her on his side and with them. He would stand up for her just like he would stand up for any of his other friends, and knew she would do the same for him. Had seen her do it.

Harry went back to the bathroom and collected Ron, he had gone out to see if he could find Serena and thought it best if he had gone alone. Now it was a wonder that Ron had let him leave the bathroom without him, between being alone during a lockdown and having Myrtle for company in the supposedly empty bathroom.

"She just told you to go see Hagrid before it was too late? What does that mean? And how does she expect to meet up with Malfoy, when the school is on lockdown, and she can't get into Slytherin's house?"

"We're supposed to have dinner right now with them. She worries that Hagrid will be taken away before he can tell us anything." Harry responded. "I think she might be right about that."

Ron seemed annoyed as they ran across the field towards Hagrid's hut. "But if she's sending us here, then doesn't she already know what he'll tell us? Why couldn't she just tell it to us herself? Why send us on this chase?"

"I don't know if she knows or not, but either way, if she fears Hagrid will be taken away, then at least we'll get to see him one last time before he goes."

So Harry and Ron set out to Hagrid's avoiding people again was kind of crazy, especially as it was just before curfew. How Serena was managing to avoid everyone and not be caught without the invisibility cloak was impossible to believe. Harry shucked off the cloak as Ron knocked and Hagrid opened the door a few seconds later, crossbow out and pointing straight into Ron's face. It was a heartbeat before Hagrid lowered it. "Oh, it's you. I'd bin expectin'- never mind."

"Are you ok, Hagrid? Have you heard about Hermione?" Harry asked as Ron asked who he was expecting.

"Oh I heard about her all right." There was a slight break in his voice. "But I had nothin ter do with it." He knew that they probably came down to question him about what happened to Hermione and the other students, even if he didn't think about how they might know, he might be paranoid enough to think they did. "What you need to know about that is-"

There was a rap on the door. Hagrid looked out the windows nervously as Harry and Ron drew the cloak up around them and backed into a corner. Hagrid glanced in the room before breathing heavily and opening the door. Dumbledore and the short man Serena had particularly disliked and thought weak-looking walked in. "That's dad's boss, Cornelius Fudge." Ron whispered to Harry before he got an elbow in his ribs to keep quiet.

They argued about what to do with Hagrid, and the fact Dumbledore believed in Hagrid and stood behind him. Fudge wasn't too keen on disagreeing with Dumbledore but had to do something now that the numbers were going up. Hagrid feared that the precautionary location was Azkaban and before Fudge could say one way or another there was another loud knock on the door.

It was Lucius Malfoy and Harry gasped before his mouth was covered. Fudge tried to defend Dumbledore when Malfoy asked for Dumbledore to step down as Headmaster, and he had all the members of the governors of the school's signature to second his stance. Hagrid defended the headmaster as well but Dumbledore accepted the terms, even though without him around, things were looking very gloomy, as the school would probably close and there would be an attack every day until that happened.

Dumbledore turned towards the inside of the house and spoke very clearly. "It's all right, I will never be completely gone from this school as long as there are still those loyal to me. You will find help will be given to those who ask for it." Dumbledore was speaking towards those who had defended him, but Harry was sure Dumbledore's eyes flickered towards him for just a moment. He and Lucius started out of the hut and Hagrid took that as his cue to add his own cryptic message to the already befuddled boys.

"Right well, if someone was looking fer somethin' they'd have to follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm sayin'." Fudge was staring at him in amazement, totally lost as to where this was even coming from. "Oh and er, someone is going ter have to feed Fang while I'm away." Then the two of them left, following the other men. The door banged shut and Fang whimpered at the door, scratching to get out.

Ron pulled off the cloak. "This is the worst thing to ever happen to Hogwarts. How could they remove Dumbledore?"

Harry shook his head. "Worse yet Ron, we have to figure this thing out tonight, before attacks start happening and everyone is either gone, petrified or dead."

"Wait- does that mean?" Ron looked at Harry fearfully and Harry nodded. "Spiders." Ron gulped, he wanted to whimper along with Fang.

–

They didn't have time to gather Serena and bring her along, they walked determinedly towards the direction the spiders were going. There were a few leading away from Hagrid's house and they led straight into the Forbidden forest.

It was middle of November, and Harry pulled his robes tightly around him, Ron huddled near Fang as they took off into the woods. Fang led them most of the way, his sense of direction and other capabilities helped to follow the path the spiders forged. "We should have brought Serena, she'd have been able to talk to Fang and the spiders and we wouldn't have to follow them to where ever they were taking us. Taking us to our death most likely."

"Hagrid said to follow the spiders." Harry ignored the quip about talking to the animals, he thought she said something about not actually being able to speak to them. However she could understand snakes, but she probably never had to actually talk to them, maybe she couldn't speak it. "He wouldn't tell us that if he didn't think it was safe."

"Hagrid thinks everything is safe. He'd be thinking it was safe even as it ate us."

"I don't think Hagrid opened the chamber this time Ron." Harry kept forging ahead.

"Bet Serena didn't have to come out here." But they were entering a dark area, darker than normal. It looked like it could house an animal or something. "Can we go back now?"

Harry looked tempted as well but he gathered himself. "Come on. We're here, might as well see this through."

They walked a little while and both were surprised to hear a voice, one they could both understand and was asking for Hagrid. "Where is Hagrid?"

"He sent us. You're Aragog, aren't you?"

Ron looked between Harry and the redwood sized spider, his mouth open and unable to close it. "Yes. Hagrid has never sent men into our Hollow before."

"He's been charged with opening the chamber of secrets, just like he was fifty years ago. Do you know anything about it?" Ron told the giant spider, though he was quivering as he asked what needed to be asked, for Hagrid, Dumbledore and most of Hermione.

"Hagrid never opened the chamber of secrets. The monster was born inside the castle, I came from a distant land."

"If you're not the monster, than what was?" Harry questioned.

"We never speak of it, it is our greatest fear, it is an ancient creature."

"Have you seen it?" Ron questioned.

"I never saw any part of the castle other than the box he kept me in. The girl was killed in a bathroom and I was brought here to be kept safe." They started to realize that the spiders were closing in on them and they started backing away. "My sons and daughters are hungry. They do not get to feed as they should. They let Hagrid pass because he saved me, but that is not something I agreed upon for his friends. Goodbye friends of Hagrid."

Ron and Harry took off running but they were trapped. "Do you know any spells?" Ron asked, his wand was useless and couldn't even light it. Harry had to be able to do it.

"I know one, but its not enough for all of them." Harry admitted, firming his stance and preparing to be devoured but to try to fight it first.

The dark cavern was illuminated like no magic Harry possessed knowledge of and the two turned quickly towards the source. "It's our car!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. "It's been here all this time!"

The car pulled to a halt with the doors open and Harry and Ron jumped in. The doors slammed shut and the car turned around and drove off through the passageways. Fang ran along side of it, not desiring to enter the car himself. The spiders attacked the car, attempting to get in, to get to the boys inside. Harry sent blasts at the spiders, throwing them off the car and soon they were free of them and the hallow. The car drove them right out towards Hagrid's place, dumping them unceremoniously out again and taking off... again. Fang came up to Harry, who was still laying on his back and licked up the side of his face.

"No, definitely not." Harry agreed winded, and Ron wasn't sure to what he was referencing. "Serena definitely did not do this. _This_ she would have warned us about. If this was something she had learned then she wouldn't have seen a need to send us this way beyond talking with Hagrid before he left. If she did know that this was all we would learn, then I'm going to beat her myself!" Harry rolled over and pushed himself onto his feet.

"Let's get the cloak and get out of here, we might still catch Serena upstairs."

No one noticed Harry and Ron entering the house, nor them running off upstairs to change into robes that weren't scratched and damaged. Dean noticed and waved towards them when they returned downstairs in normal attire and were looking around for Serena. "Have you guys been upstairs this whole time? I swear I didn't see you at dinner." They told them they were, they had grabbed dinner before going upstairs to study a bit in quiet. They did have end of term tests coming up. Dean bought it. "Oh and Serena asked me to give you a message. It was rather cryptic, hope I get it right...: Don't be mad, I don't know what he'd say. Meet me at the next, where you were today."

Harry and Ron stared at Dean as if he'd grown another head. Ron had been there waiting the whole time, and Serena _knew _that was the next step? Ron only ever felt violent towards Malfoy when he was sneering about Hermione, muggles and muggle-borns, his family, Dumbledore and Hagrid. Well, he felt violet towards Malfoy a lot, but the point was, it was just generally Malfoy and his goons that Ron wanted to murder. But now those feelings, along with Harry's were pointed towards a very blond member of their group. She sent them to the spiders when she could have just joined Harry and gone to Ron this afternoon. The whole day could have been shaved down! Ron rushed back upstairs to grab the cloak but Harry in an attempt to join him, froze, looking at Ginny teary eyed in the spot Hermione usually occupied. He wanted to go to her to comfort her but Ron was back down and pushing the cloak into his hands. The two of them moved into a dark corner before they wandered back out onto the castle grounds. Serena was going to get them caught by doing this so often and foolishly. Though she just wandered around free without anyone noticing.

She was waiting in the bathroom, leaning against a sink when they busted through the doors and closed the door soundly behind them. "What the hell were you thinking?" Ron demanded, pointing a broken wand at her face. She looked at it blandly, doing an interesting Snape impression.

Harry pushed the wand down before Ron hurt anybody. "Why didn't you just tell us?" He put himself in between the two of them, though Serena could tell he was livid.

She sighed heavily. "Hagrid told him he was innocent. That anything you might have seen was misleading evidence. He said the only thing he knew about the death was that the girl died and she had been a Ravenclaw student and that the location had been very odd. I didn't put that part together until after you already went off to see him. He wouldn't tell me anything else. I hoped you would get more out of him. I didn't think he would say more with me being present. What happened?" She looked genuinely interested.

"Why couldn't you just tell me that?"

"There wasn't time. I went earlier. You needed to hear he was innocent yourself, you wouldn't believe anyone else, not after seeing what you did in that damn diary!"

Hermione had pushed the same thing, but Harry hadn't believed either of their guts, nobody had seen the giant ugly thing pop out at him. "Why then are we here?"

"I was wondering about the girl who had died in the bathroom and Harry said you were waiting in here for him because this was the only place you could get any relative privacy with the school on lockdown. It clicked just as I left. Why did Myrtle haunt this place? What if she died and never left? So I came here and decided to wait. She hasn't been back up yet, she's still in the ubend and I wanted all of us to figure this out together."

"Moaning Myrtle?" Ron said with a groan. "We've been in this bathroom so many times! We could have asked her straight off what she knew about the chamber of secrets when we were brewing the polyjuice potion!"

Serena looked pained as she nodded, she hadn't been here for that. "Seems everything keeps coming back to this bathroom and Myrtle. What happened to Hagrid though, while we wait?"

"He's taken off, probably to Azkaban, to wait out his hearing. It all depends if this gets solved or not. It has to be this month, or we'll never come back." Ron explained.

"And Dumbledore's gone too."

"Oh no!" Serena gasped. "He didn't do anything rash did he?"

Ron shook his head. "Your boyfriend's father came and announced to him that they were asking him to step aside. All the school's governors wanted it, all twelve signed."

Serena looked fearfully towards the two boys. "I hadn't heard anything of it. I can't believe Dumbledore and Hagrid are gone!"

"What's more." Ron stated, digging in. "You get to feed Fang now that Hagrid's gone."

Serena shook her head. "Of course, anything. I like Fang. I can't get over how stupid people are. I mean really, if Hagrid did open it again, do you think he'd wait this long? He's been on the grounds for ages. He had access to all parts of the castle. Mark my words, if things continue, Harry might be next, or me, or-" Her eyes turned to Ron.

"What? Not Malfoy? No... I suppose you're right, Malfoy Sr. is in too deep with the Ministry, they're scared of him." Ron responded bitterly. "So think it's time to ask Myrtle to come up and have a chat?"

There was a noise outside the door and Harry threw the cloak around them just in time as the door opened and Percy stuck his head in. "I swear I heard voices, McGonagall." He opened the door wider and McGonagall entered and he followed her after. The three of them sidestepped the two investigators and disappeared out of the bathroom and back towards the common room. It was empty when they entered, it was well past midnight.

"Tomorrow." They promised each other, then split off in their respective directions.

EAN: Dum-de-dum-dum. The first half of Chapter 2 is almost over, yay! I think this next part will wrap things up nicely to lead into the second half of Chapter 2... I really should just rename all these. Maybe I will after I upload this one... hmm... sounds great.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 2

Part 7/12

* * *

It was several days before they could get to the bathroom. There had been more attention on the first scene of attack than before, renewed by Filch and those who had thought they had heard something. So when it looked like they were lacking in surveillance, the trio made a plan for the following night, to renew what they were intending to do all along.

That following day at lunch, when everyone was gathered together, McGonagall announced she had good news. After a flurry of shout-outs about what the rest of them wanted to hear, McGonagall was finally able to speak. "Mrs. Sprout has assured me that the Mandrakes have been prepared and will be administered to the people in the hospital wing. They should be as good as new sooner or later and perhaps one of them may be able to shed some light onto what they have seen."

Ron whispered towards Harry. "That means we can avoid talking to moaning Myrtle!"

Harry nodded, he was pleased to hear it too, it was already getting closer to the end of November and they'd only have a couple of weeks before they'd have winter vacation. "Let's go see Hermione tonight, they're administering it today, aren't they? They'll be awake and we can hear from her what she's learned."

The three were just agreeing on this plan even though Serena felt like something was off with their ideas, when Ginny sat down with an audible noise right across from Harry and Serena, next to her brother. She looked straight at the two of them, looking nervous and after her initial decision to do so, was starting to fidget. "What's wrong with you?" Ron questioned, surprised at her abrupt entrance.

"Remember that thing you said you would help me with?" Ginny held Serena's eyes with her own.

"I do, but then you-"

"I know, I couldn't help it- I can't- I mean- I wanted to do as you said, but I wasn't able to-" Ginny couldn't get it out, and Harry was reminded of Dobby, wanting to say it but knowing they couldn't revel whatever it was.

"Spit it out, already."

Ginny's eyes moved to Harry. "I need your help. I-"

"Do you know something? About the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry was suddenly leaning forward, looking for Ginny's answer. "Did you see something, hear something?"

Ginny opened her mouth, ready to spill when Percy's voice over rid hers. "Are you done? I've been looking for a seat. I'm starving."

Ginny looked stricken up towards Percy before bolting out of the room. "Good going, she was just about to tell us something about the Chamber of secrets." Ron grouched.

"Oh that? I don't think so. She just caught me doing something I would rather not discuss. Thought she wouldn't breath a word of it. Guess not though. She'll get over it."

Serena was looking at Percy very oddly, like she didn't quite believe him and Harry put a hand around her upper arm as he stood, trying to get her to go with Ron and him without being too obvious. "I don't think so." She whispered, picking up her bag and following the other two. They were shuffled from class to class until they ended up in the common room that night. Serena was waiting for the boys before the three of them were invisible to the naked eyes and were using the door opening for Seamus. to leave out of it.

The three of them managed to avoid the professors, even with being a large mass to avoid on their own and to move smoothly in some cases took a lot of coordinated effort. Maybe they'd be able to do both, depending if Hermione was feeling up to it or not. "With them coming back, the one doing this is going to be feeling desperate. They might go on the attack again." Harry rationalized as they walked up the stairs to the infirmary.

"Or they might want to finish the job off before they can-" Ron didn't finish his statement as they entered the hospital and found that everyone was still petrified. "Guess it hasn't started working yet."

They took off the cloak as they entered the pulled curtains Hermione was in once Serena peaked in and said she was decent. Harry and Ron took Hermione's sides as they sat on the bed. Everyone had been hoping Hermione was feeling top of the line and ready to go investigate with them, so it was a little disappointing that she was still as they'd last seen her, before the antidote was administered. "I wish you were with us, Hermione. We can't do it without you." Harry reached out and squeezed her hand. Maybe it was a little different, because her hand was looser than it had been before, and he now felt something odd within her touch. He pulled it away from her and uncrumpled it.

"What's that?" Serena asked from the foot of the bed.

"This is what Hermione had gone to the library for." Harry was looking excited. "She's left us some clues!"

They ducked back under the cloak and started for Myrtle's bathroom now that they knew they'd be doing this alone, and having to talk to Myrtle after all. Once in the bathroom, Serena held onto the cloak as Harry read from the paper. "So, what's it say?" Ron questioned, Myrtle was still hiding. Serena would try to coax her out later.

"It's saying that the creature could be a basilisk."

"What's that?" Serena's eyes searched his face.

"An ancient snake."

"No, impossible. I would have seen that in Hermione's book. She had taken to the light reading about snakes at bed time. It was organized into four sections, deadly, harmful, harmless and helpful. I studied the table of contents, I saw nothing in there about a basilisk and I would have remembered something as nasty sounding as that. I had started in on the deadly snakes since Hermione had been petrified."

"You are just starting with that now? Why didn't you tell me you thought it was a snake?" Harry grumbled, this was another need to know, and Serena was always holding back information.

"I don't know if it was even related to this, or if she found anything. She might have just been looking into our shared ability. She didn't say anything to me about the book in the first place, and she didn't say anything to any of us. There is no listing of a Basilisk."

"Perhaps its because the Basilisk is legendary, no record has ever been recorded whether seeing one, what it does or if it even ever existed. Though there are some snakes believed to be from them, but nothing conclusive. One thing that might explain it is because they're supposedly live over hundreds of years." Ron stated, picking the paper out of Harry's hand and reading what Hermione had torn out of the book in her hurry.

"So it _is_ a snake?" Serena asked, looking nervous.

"Yes, and like me and spiders, you get to go say hello to the snake." Ron pierced her with an unhappy stare.

"It isn't that... it's just that I heard the voice and thought I was going crazy. I wasn't sure what I was hearing, between my odd connection to animals and snakes. I'm almost relieved its a snake and not something new I have to deal with."

"So how do we find this snake? How do we kill it?"

"I don't know. All it says in here is that anyone that meets the snake's deadly glare will die an instant death. Also, it can grow to gigantic sizes and has venomous fangs, not that it needs to be poisonous, they're deadly enough as it is. Apparently a basilisk is the spider's greatest enemy and the only thing _it _fears is the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."

"Great, so where do we get a rooster now?" Serena asked, a little tired herself of all these mysteries.

"That makes sense." Harry suddenly summed up, snatching the paper out of Ron's hands. "Whoever awoke this monster, got rid of Hagrids roosters, not wanting anything to happen to it."

"Not whoever-" Serena started but Myrtle made her debut at the same time.

"Oh, what are _you_ doing here." Myrtle sniffed, turning her back on the three of them. "You haven't gotten your forth, cheating on her already?"

"Myrtle!" Serena sounded scandalized.

"Yeah well, how does it get around? Someone was bound to see a giant snake slithering through the halls." Ron asked, not yet noticing Myrtle.

Harry looked put out for a moment, he didn't know that either, it was just a disembodied voice to him, being heard but not seen, and he searched the paper, looking for any clues, he already knew about the spiders. Then he saw the scrawl on the bottom in Hermione's handwriting _pipes_ was all that it said but it made perfect sense. "Pipes! It gets around using the pipes. Myrtle! What do you know about the chamber of secrets?"

"Oh this and that. But why should I tell you?" Myrtle was more unpleasant today than she normally was.

"Please Myrtle." Harry pleaded. "We need to know."

"There's been another attack." She floated around them. "Find that one out, and I might tell you."

"Another attack?" Ron whispered. "Who?"

"Ta-ta, I said after you find it out. The teachers are unhappy about the sign out in the hall. Causing such a ruckus too, I could barely hear myself thinking down there, contemplating death and how to end this lonely existence."

They threw the cloak back on and went in search of the sign and the teachers. They found it easily enough. They had barely time to read the words before the teachers gathered near multiplied and they squished into a corner behind a statue. It was rather uncomfortable, Ron's elbow was in Harry's chest, Harry's foot was between Serena's and Serena's head was underneath Ron's chin, pushing his head up at an uncomfortable angle.

The words written on the wall were the same color and writing as the first message and right below it. This time the words read: _Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever._ "Who is it? Which student?" Madame Hooch asked.

"Ginny Weasley." Replied McGonagall. Ron made a sad sound and sank against the wall, nobody else seemed to hear him and Harry felt Serena shift behind him, he glanced and she had moved to wrap her arms around Ron in a hug, and he held her close, needing the support just then. "This is the end of Hogwarts, a student, gone missing! Dumbledore always said..." She broke off, unable to finish.

For one second, the figure striding towards all of them with a rush, Harry imagined it was Dumbledore, returning to save the day, but Harry was grossly disappointed to see that it was only Lockhart. "So sorry, I seemed to have dozed off, what have I missed?" He was beaming and seemed oblivious to everyone else glaring at him as if wanting to murder him themselves, and Harry was sure they would.

Snape stepped forward with a strange snarl across his lips. "Just the man, the very man we were all looking for!" Lockhart grinned at the acknowledgment, but Snape wasn't finished. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the chamber of secrets is? How you knew who was behind it from the start and would have eventually caught them red-handed? A girl has been taken, I assume this would be the perfect time to shine."

"I, er, well, I-" Lockhart spluttered, trying to come up with a way to back out of this but still save face.

Professor Flitwick piped up as well, looking rather excited at the prospect. "Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it? Knowing just the right spell to get it if you ever were given the chance?"

"Did I? I don't recall-"

Snape continued his advantage, pushing. "Didn't you wish you had free reign from the start? That if you had only just gotten to the monster before Hagrid was arrested, then the whole affair wouldn't have been bungled?"

Lockhart glanced around fearfully at all the stoney faces looking towards him and Harry from even his distance and poor view could see Lockhart sweating. McGonagall had looked shocked at first at the idea of sending Lockhart to do anything before she smiled slowly, catching on. "Of course, then we'll leave you to it, Gilderoy. Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. The students will be up in their chambers, we'll be in ours. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free reign at last."

Lockhart was still looking around him, desperate now, looking feeble and not remotely handsome now that he was without his toothy grin. "Right." He firmed his stance. "Well, I'll just go to my office and- prepare."

He left the room and Ron lifted his head from where he had buried it into Serena's hair, not wanting to cry or be seen or heard doing it. "They're just going to let Lockhart take care of it? What about Ginny? They're going to leave her in his hands?" Ron whispered furiously.

"Wait, be quiet." Harry whispered back, not wanting to be overheard or caught and sent back to the dormitory and have no way back out again.

McGonagall straightened. "Right, well that gets him out of the way. The heads of the house should go inform the students of what has happened and that the Hogwarts express shall take them home first thing tomorrow. Make sure no student has been left outside their houses. I have to go inform the Weasleys that their sister has been taken."

One by one, the teachers left the hallway, there was nothing they could do about the writing on the wall, and after all their searching, if they hadn't found the chamber of secrets yet, then they weren't going to find it in time to save Ginny. "I can't believe they're just going to give up on her! I can't believe it was her, why would she be taken? She's a pure blood. She had to have known something, that's the only reason why anyone would want- would want- it wasn't about Percy at all!"

Serena bit her lip. "I was trying to say this earlier but Myrtle cut me off. I don't think it was just anyone that opened the Chamber of Secrets. I _think_ it was Ginny herself, _because_ she was pure blood."

"But- her skeleton- floor-" Ron tried to deny it and Serena shook her head helplessly.

"I know Ron, I do, and maybe she didn't maybe I'm completely wrong, but Ginny, she's the one that threw the diary into the toilet, I saw her, and she's the one that stole it back again from Harry's room. I suspected it was her the second time around, but I hadn't any proof and I was going to tell you anyways, especially after-"

"Hermione." Harry picked out exactly what she was going to say. "You're right, if you saw her throw the diary in and she's from Gryffindor, she has to be the one that took it. No one else has been acting so strangely. Maybe that's all she wanted to say the other day, was that she took it."

"Hermione!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, and the other two glared at him, it was lucky they were alone in the hall. "She wrote pipes! It's been getting around in the pipes!" He got a look as if wondering what the point was, they already figured that part of the clue out. "Don't you see? Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom, it's been using the plumbing as well, it might have the entrance there!"

Harry and Serena were shocked as they looked at how smart Ron's guess was and they nodded dumbly. "Of course, I knew everything kept coming back to her." Serena quickly explained what she had figured out between the reflections and why nobody had died yet, especially with the information about the Basilisk and its eyes. "You can't look into its eyes, if it gazes at you, whether through the reflection or with nothing between the two of you, you'll be toast. At least with a mirror you can try to avoid the gaze, and wont die. Or at least will be petrified and wont feel death. If we go down there."

"What now?" Asked Harry glumly. "Go after it ourselves?" Nobody wanted to, but they knew they would have to, to save Ginny.

"We can go to Lockhart with this information, he's done all those things in his books, maybe. And he said he knew what to do, and I don't believe for a moment he knows what's really down there or where it is, but he's the one tasked with taking care of it, and we can bring him our information, and avoid being caught and detained."

"It's worth a shot." Serena's face was scrunched up and she was looking unsure, but there was nothing else they could do at the moment, unless they went to go find Moaning Myrtle and demand all the answers out of her.

They raced down to Lockhart's office and knocked as there was a commotion on the other side of the door. The noise stopped and the door cracked open to admit an eye to peek through it "Oh, Mr. Potter, Miss Riddle, Mr. Weasley. What are you students doing down here? I thought for sure you'd all be locked up nice and safe by now." He opened the door a bit wider. "I'm rather busy at the moment, if you would be quick or come back later-"

Harry spoke, Lockhart would give in to him. "We've got information, we thought it might help you."

Lockhart looked at them for a long moment, looking terribly uncomfortable and the words he was saying sounded as if he was trying to avoid even that but he eventually sighed and opened the door wider. He looked frazzled, his hair was a mess, even for the last few days when it looked less and less sleek as he had been having more and more tours around the castle. "Oh all right, come in."

His office was completely stripped, his trunks overflowing as he tossed things in haphazardly, hastily folded robes, thrown in photographs and books, not given the usual care he might have had he had more time. Harry looked livid as he turned to the flake of a teacher, he had always known Lockhart was blowing hot air, but this was worse than he ever thought. "Going somewhere?"

"Urgent call, something came up, I have to go, really unavoidable." He was just throwing words together, and each one after the other sounded worse than the previous, and he continued throwing things in, though by the looks of it, it wouldn't fit or close unless he rearranged things.

"What about my sister?" Ron jutted out his chin and asked jerkily.

"No one regrets more than I-"

Harry cut him off. "You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now, not will all the Dark stuff going on here!"

"I never thought- the job description led me to believe- didn't expect- wanted a cushy job- good for the books, able to sell more-"

"You're running away." All three men stopped what they were doing and looked to Serena after she spoke those words. Nobody had ever sounded more disgusted or commanded as much attention as those from Serena, and nobody had expected something so derisive to come from her. It was the last straw from her, and her decision was final, her opinion would not change, Lockhart had come to the end of the second chances in Serena's mind. _Nobody_ had ever reached that point before, and for Lockhart to abandon his post as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, to run away when he was most needed was the worst thing anyone could do in Serena's mind, and it wasn't as if he had a valid point or gave a real reason, like he was afraid, he just wanted to skip out on it and pretend it never happened, come out with absolutely no mud on his shoes or name. It might have been another thing if he just admitted to being scared, but he was taking the coward's way out.

It took Lockhart a moment to get beyond just staring at Serena to work through her three words that had put everyone into shock, the anger vibrating off of her was palpable. Lockhart was no fool, he knew who Serena was, who her father had been, and decided to avoid looking or talking to her, not wanting to make matters worse. He worked his jaw before speaking again. "Yes, well, matters are calling for me somewhere else, something more pressing than just one little life."

"After all that stuff you've done in your books-" Harry said disbelieving, he had begun to doubt their validity practically from the start, and he ignored Lockhart's comment, taking up from where Serena left off.

"Books can be misleading." Lockhart said delicately, now continuing his packing.

"You wrote them!" Harry shouted.

Lockhart straightened up, suddenly realizing the damage Harry could do to his reputation, more so than the rest of the school combined. "My dear boy, do use your common sense, haven't I taught you anything over these last few months? My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people believed _I_ didn't do all those things. No one wants to read about one warlock, one victory. People want to see a champion, and one that actually looks good on the cover. I mean come on-"

"So you've just been taking credit for things other people have been doing?" Ron looked like he had been sucker punched, he didn't buy into this guy at all, not even before he met him, but it was low and rotten and dirty to steal hard work from someone else.

"My dear children, I've put a lot of work into it, it isn't as simple as you've been making it out to be. I had to track them down, get them to tell me their stories, exactly how they did it and then put a memory charm on them. I pride myself on my memory charm. If you want to be famous Harry, you have to cut corners sometimes. It's the price to pay." He was facing away from them. "That should do it." He closed the trunks and turned towards them, his wand out and ready to charm them. "Can't have you blabbing all my secrets children, I'd never sell anything again." He realized three wands were already pointed at him. "Oh."

"Hand it over." Harry gestured to Lockhart's wand. "Even if you could get one of us, the other two will take you down." Although Harry knew Ron's would probably backfire and he didn't know what Serena could do, but with her anger still radiating off of her like a mini-sun, only growing with how low Lockhart really was, she might just pull out the big guns yet, if she had any magical capabilities. If Lockhart was smart and paid attention, he would know to attack Harry if he was going to bother at all.

Ron took Lockhart's wand. "Right, now you'll go down to face the monster, like you promised." Ron pointed him in the direction away from the room and back into the hallway.

"What do you want me to do? I don't know where the chamber is or what the monster is. I'm useless to you."

"Well you're in luck. Because we think _we've_ figured it out." Serena smiled sweetly, too sweetly for the anger that she quickly stuffed away to keep a clear head. It was almost sickening how fast she turned it on, but Harry and Ron knew she was still furious, it wasn't the real Serena-charm looking at Lockhart at that moment.

"Glad she's on our side." Ron whispered to Harry as Serena poked Lockhart in the back with her wand and gave him marching orders. Harry nodded back, wide-eyed. She might not have any magical powers in the wizarding world, or at least that she shared with them, but she seemed very dangerous at that moment.

They sent Lockhart in first into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and pleased to see her sitting on the tank at the end. "What do you want?" She moaned.

"We figured it out."

Myrtle glanced up at the boys, Serena and Lockhart. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"We want to know how you died." Harry cut in, ignoring her question.

Her entire demeanor changed and she told them with relish, she was no longer sagging and sad, but pleased to tell them, as if she'd never been asked that before. "Oooh, it was dreadful. I was crying in this very stall because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses, and I heard someone come in. They were speaking, but it was odd, like it was a different language or something, but what really got me was that it was a _boy_ talking. I opened the door to tell him to go use his own bathroom when suddenly I was dead, floating away... All I remember about that was seizing up and looking into a pair of great big yellow eyes. I should have gone on, but I was determined to haunt Olive, she'd be sorry she ever laughed at my glasses."

"Where did you see these eyes?" Serena questioned.

"Over there." Myrtle waved towards the sinks. Harry walked over and investigated them while Ron and Serena kept an eye on Lockhart. Harry found a small snake on the side of one of the faucets. He tried turning the taps but Myrtle shook her head. "That sink has never worked. Nobody seems to know how to fix it, and now that I'm here, nobody cares."

Myrtle was starting to fade into her normal self again and Ron hurried a glance towards him. "Say something in Parseltongue."

Harry tried what came to him first. "Open up." Harry glanced back but Ron shook his head as Serena shrugged, she wouldn't know the difference, just as he wouldn't. He willed himself to believe it was a real snake, if this didn't work, Serena would have to give it a chance, though she said she never spoke snake before, just heard it. He tried it again and a hiss streamed from his lips. The sink began to move and slide out of the way to reveal a pipe for a grown man to be able to slide through.

Lockhart tried to escape, with a few frantic words. "What do you need me for? I'm wandless. I will do you no good."

"You're going first." Ron pointed from Lockhart to the tunnels. Lockhart slowly moved as the three of them closed in on him. He tried to protest again but Ron gave him a shove and Lockhart fell face forward into the hole, sliding down it and it sounded painful. Harry slowly let himself go as Ron told him to be careful and he'd see him soon. Ron turned as Serena started sliding into the tunnel. "You don't have to go. She's my sister. Harry can speak parseltongue, you can stay here, where you won't get hurt." He didn't want her to get hurt.

Serena shook her head touched. "Ron, I want to go. Ginny's my friend, and I want to help. Do you really think I can accuse Lockhart of the coward he is, and then run away myself?"

"But you're not highly educated in the DADA and pretending to be something more than you are. You are a student, barely halfway through your second year. It'd be smarter if you just stayed back, attended to my brothers and Hermione. She should be awake by the time we get back."

"I want to assure myself that you will come back."

"You could go get other teachers." Ron pushed.

Serena shook her head negatively. "You can stay back and get them, you've got the broken wand."

"I'm going." Ron stated with no room for argument and he realized that's how she felt and he nodded for her to continue. Harry should already be safely out of the way by the time she got down there. She let herself slide down, crossing her arms and tucking her chin as she slid down the long slimy pathway. She could hear Ron seconds later, making a slight banging noise, but not as bad as Lockhart had been. There were several off-shoot pipes leading in several other directions, but not as big as the one they were in. They continued downward for a long time and Serena, like Harry, knew they were going below even the dungeons. There was a slight curve in the pipe, and it ended gradually and she tumbled out onto a damp floor. Lockhart was already standing, and Harry had his wand facing the man as Serena rose to her feet and wiped herself down, she was slimy and dirty and whatever else was in the pipes and ground down here. Ron came out shortly after in a heap and one hand broke through a skull and he groaned. It took longer to unwind himself and stand.

"Are you all right?" Harry called out to the two of them as they reoriented themselves.

"We are, are you?" Ron asked back, pulling out his wand. He had left Lockhart's in the bathroom before he came down the pipes. It was sitting on the sink near the one with the snake, hoping someone would come across it and follow them down.

"I'm ok. Where are we?" Harry asked as the other two regained their wands and pointed them at Lockhart. Serena hung back a little ways, not wanting to be near Lockhart, in case she used too much force or an unforgivable hex without fully intending to.

"I think we're under the lake. It's so wet here."

"But we just came down a pipe." Serena pointed out. "From a bathroom with other pipes leading into it." She made a disgusted face. "It could be where they dump the water."

"Don't tell me that." Ron groaned, equally as disgusted.

"I suppose we better get going." Harry stated, none too pleased to think about what he not only fell in but was currently still standing in. They slowly moved together, Harry in the lead, followed by Lockhart, Ron following close behind him, and Serena trailing. "Remember, if you see anything moving or hear anything, close your eyes."

They wandered for a ways, before they had to stop with something large lying still in the middle of the next and only path they could go in. Serena ventured up next to Harry, to help him look over the thing. "Maybe it's sleeping." Ron whispered from the back.

Harry looked back towards Ron and shook his head. "It's a snake-skin." Lockhart had his hands over his eyes, digging into the sockets, trying to save himself from absolutely no danger. He was doing it the whole way.

Harry turned his attention back to the snakeskin, whatever made it, had to be at least twenty feet by now. They heard a thump and Serena and Harry turned quickly to see what was going on, Lockhart was on the ground, his knees giving out beneath him and looking like all the world like a dead possum. Serena rolled her eyes at Harry, and Ron started prodding him, urging him to get up and stop fooling around. Lockhart didn't move for several heartbeats and didn't even twitch. Ron leaned over him to get a better look, his wand out at Lockharts face and suddenly there was a slight scuffle as Lockhart seized the wand hand and the wand, tumbling Ron over and rising to his feet, probably weighing twice Ron's weight and it wasn't a fair fight.

"Lockhart, what are you doing? Don't be a fool on top of your other character faults." Harry groaned as Lockhart aimed the wand at them.

It was easily recognizable as Ron's spellotaped wand, but Lockhart didn't seem to care. "Too late." Serena whispered out of the side of her mouth and Harry completely agreed with her.

"Most unfortunate, I apologize Lady Riddle and Mr. Potter, you two would have been valuable assets, and would have even looked good on the cover of my books as well. It's a shame I can't use the two of you pass this incident. Oh well, this will make a nice book anyway. I will bring some of that snakeskin up, share with the rest that I was too late to save the girl and the three of you had gone mad with seeing her mangled body." He glanced down at Ron and pointed it in the general direction of all three of them. "_Obliviate!_"

The wand backfired and Harry turned to run as it made a sickening noise, his hand reached out and he grabbed Serena's arm as he realized with a step away from Lockhart that it created a mini-bomb and they were under a very low lying overhang and the two of them sprinted away just in time for rocks and chunks of the ceiling to come pouring down on top of them. They got split up in the chaos and Harry took in several gulps of air as he looked around. "Serena!"

"I'm ok!" She called back. "Ron?" She was coughing and sounded just as winded as he was, but her voice was fainter than his, and he wondered where she was.

Harry climbed up the debris pile and found a gap in the wall. "Ron?" He called, looking through, trying to see if Serena had ended up stuck on the same side as Ron, because he didn't see her with him.

"I'm ok." He responded to their inquiry. "Though this git's not, he got hit by his own spell." There was a dull thud and Harry chuckled as Lockhart let out a shout of pain as Ron kicked him in the shins. "Serena with you?"

"No, she's not with you then, I take it?"

"I can't see her. We can't get through, and if we don't know where she is, then I fear it might make things worse for her. It'll take forever to move these things out of the way. Go get Ginny."

Harry nodded. "Serena? Where are you?" He called out, moving away from that hole, the debris had blocked the entrance to the cavern they were just in, and this was the only place to go, at least it had looked like it when examining the skin, maybe she got stuck between a hole in the debris or maybe a side path that led no where.

"I'm in another tunnel. Go ahead Harry, I'll see where this leads, if not to you, then maybe back up again. I'll go get help."

"Right, Ron, stay here with Lockhart and if neither of us are back in an hour-"

"I'll try to shift the rocks to let you back through. And Harry-"

Harry injected as much confidence into his sentence, Ginny had been down here for maybe hours already and they were wasting time. "See you in a bit."

Harry set off in one direction alone as Serena set off in another. If Serena ended up in the Chamber, and he didn't, he'd try to go and get to her to help her, if he wasn't too late. However after a long walk, twisting and turning, and different off branches leaded nowhere or leading back to the same main one, he finally found himself face to face with a giant wall with two snakes intertwined, their eyes, like the skin found earlier, were an emerald color, the color Slytherin boasted the best and the bodies were black, the other color of Slytherin. There was no point in pretending he was somewhere else, this was the entrance to Salazar Slytherin's secret chamber of secrets. He wondered briefly where Serena ended up, but he was concentrating more on the girl trapped inside of it, taken for whatever reason that went from the norm of attacking muggle-borns or non-pure wizards to attacking a pure one, and bringing it down here as well...

He straightened up, beyond all of that, it was _Ginny_ down here, and it was Ginny he'd come to save. He'd come for all of his friends, and Ginny was no exception. He prayed the others would be safe as he looked at these snakes and didn't need to pretend they were alive to speak to them, the gleam in their emerald eyes seemed strangely real. "Open." The walls slowly parted, the snakes moving away from one another, detangling themselves and Harry walked through the parting and down the marble pathway, leading straight to the heart of it. The doors shut behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 2

Part 8/13

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AN: Yeah, ok I lied, this is the end of the first half of Chapter 2. The other one was getting long enough without this part added and I wanted to leave you with a cliff-hanger, slash we all know what happens next, for the most part, but whatever, if felt good to leave you there... lol...

* * *

This place was dark, the marble flooring flickering from green to black depending on the light from the endless fires burning in pits high above his head. They were on pillars of the same marble, snakes wrapped around them like lovers, holding onto the pillars and their mouths open to create the pits the fires stemmed from. All of them had long, sharp and deadly looking teeth.

Harry was memorized by these structures, each one looked alive and deadly. He squinted, trying to keep his eyes as close to shut as possible, least the creature suddenly appear from one of the dark pathways between each of the pillars. Where was it? Where was Ginny?

He continued down the path set before him, obviously the way he was intended to go, and not seeing a better option, followed it. His footsteps bounced off the stone, causing an eerie echo. He was looking around him as he walked, and several times his heart stopped short when he thought one of the stone snakes started to stir, the lights and the emerald eyes casting paranoia into his already jerky movements.

He finally moved further down enough to see the light grow in size upon a clearing in front of stone-snake waterfalls and there upon the empty floor was Ginny, sprawled out, in her school uniform and unconscious.

Harry forgot his own fear at what might be lurking around the place and ran to her side. "Ginny, Ginny wake up. Please don't be dead, Ginny!" He shook her, trying to get her attention. "Don't be dead." He pulled her into his arms and her head lolled to the side and he patted her cheeks, and checked her breathing. It was shallow at best, he couldn't really tell if it was hers he was hearing or his. "Come on Ginny, wake up!'

"You're wasting your time. She won't wake."

Harry jerked his head around at the soft voice. A tall black haired boy was there, leaning against one of the snake pillars, with his arms folded across his chest. He looked weird in this light, like he wasn't really there, but he wasn't see-through, like a normal ghost. He didn't look any older than sixteen and he was unmistakable. "Tom?"

Tom nodded, looking only at Harry's face, with a look Harry couldn't place. "What do you mean? She won't wake? She's not- not-"

"Dead?" Tom questioned and shook his head sadly. "No, she's not dead. She's still alive, only just though."

Harry still couldn't get over Tom's presence, he was blurry around the edges, but he was the same age as when Harry had seen him through the diary, but it was over fifty years ago. "You're not a ghost, are you?"

Tom was quiet for a moment. "A memory. Preserved for these last fifty years."

"You-" Harry's brow furrowed and shook his head, not thinking through whatever it was he wanted to know. "You've got to help me, Tom. She's going to die, and I need to know how to stop it, get her some help. Away from the basilisk that might kill us all."

"Now why would I want to do that?" Tom laughed, picking up Harry's wand and twirling it around in his long fingers. He must have dropped it as he flew to Ginny's side.

"Give that here Tom." Harry set Ginny back down, suddenly realizing how very dangerous the situation he was in and needing movement."The Basilisk can come at any moment."

Tom pocketed the wand. "You won't need this, the Basilisk wont come until called for."

"And I imagine that you know who can call the Basilisk?"

"I didn't expect you to come running down here, not even with your great sleuthing abilities and other... traits." His eyes flickered over Harry's face, another emotion Harry couldn't place slid over Tom's, but it was dark.

"But... why would you want this to happen?"

"I've been waiting fifty years for this to happen. It feels like an eternity longer, waiting to come back to this place, waiting to meet you face to face, to have a chance to chat with you."

"That can wait, I first need to help Ginny. What's wrong with her?"

"Our chat can't wait, by the time I am whole, you will be gone and you're wasting your breath. The only one that could help the child already has and hasn't come down here with you. I was so hoping you would bring her with. She's been very naughty. That's one thing that I will see to when I'm whole."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked exasperated, Ginny was looking paler by the minute, and he had to do something. "What do you have to do with the Chamber?"

"Still haven't figured it out, Potter?" Tom shook his head. "It seemed easy enough, though I suppose the title of the journal did throw you. Marvolous Memoirs. I didn't think it would be necessary at the time, but perhaps now I am pleased that I made this change. It's a spelling error, you see? Marvelous Memoirs would have been correct, but wouldn't have belonged so strongly to me." Tom pushed away from the pillar and walked around Harry and Ginny. "Tom Marvolo, surely you know who I am? With my real name as leaked to the world as my filthy muggle father's." Tom lifted an eyebrow as Harry followed him around with his eyes but knelt defensively in front of Ginny, ready to attack if provoked. "Suppose the middle name isn't as important. I suppose you aren't as clever as you believe yourself to be."

"What are you talking about? Who else could you be? Tom Marvolo was never an important person, there were plenty of other prefects and headboys and the like listed in the hall, but yours wasn't up there."

"They took down my name? T.M. Riddle? I didn't think the school would ever do that." Tom stopped right in front of Harry and bent to look at Harry's widening gaze. "Ah yes, there you go, you've got it now."

"Tom _Riddle_?"

Riddle grinned predatory. "Tom Marvolo Riddle. _I am Lord_ _Voldemort_." Harry gulped as he realized who he was looking at, having thought Voldemort was after Tom's time was his greatest mistake, Voldemort's age was never specified, but Harry had never imagined Voldemort to be in his sixties when he attacked Harry's parents. Either it took time to rally the support or he hadn't come into his full power yet, _or_ the wizarding community had been in terror all that time. "My filthy muggle father's name was useful for something after all."

"I don't understand, how does Ginny play into all of this?" Harry demanded.

"She was a pure-blood, the only type that could revive me. The only thing she's guilty of is spilling her little heart to me. I can't tell you the pure agony of listening to a thirteen year old's insufferable whining. Wondering if she'd ever be good enough for Harry Potter, slayer of Voldemort! How I wished for the day I could confront you and understand how you managed to defeat me, a mere insolent child to my prime!" Tom took a step away as Harry shot to his feet. "Oh yes, she's been writing in me for _months_. She's the one that has done everything in the school, the writing, the killing of the chickens, letting loose the Serpent on the Mudbloods."

"NO!" Harry denied, he couldn't believe Ginny would do all that, she loved cats, loved Hermione and she would never harm anyone or anything.

"Oh yes, very hard to believe, but then again, I started sharing with her a few of my secrets. As her soul seeped into the pages, feeding me life, I started adding a little of my own soul into her, causing her to do everything that's transpired this year. Of course she didn't remember doing it, and none of it was in anyway done willingly. She couldn't help what I had done through her." Tom shook his head chidingly. "She thought she could get rid of me, but it was already too late. I was becoming stronger, much too strong for her, feeding off her deepest secrets, darkest fears. It was exactly what I needed. I always could charm those I needed. I was actually pleased she got rid of me, because then you came along, exactly the person I most wanted to meet. You bowed to my whim just as everyone else did, believing any tale I wove for you. Though what I showed you is exactly how it happened. Only one person never believed my story, but I always wondered how anyone could think Hagrid had the brains to figure out something that took _me, _three years to figure out. Only the transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, thought Hagrid was innocent. He never did like me, he persuaded Dippet to take Hagrid on as gamekeeper."

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you." Harry responded, gritting his teeth, he had no wand, no way to revive Ginny or fight off the Basilisk, he could only hope to delay Riddle as long as he could, so someone could come and help him.

Riddle's mouth pressed. "He did become annoyingly watchful. I knew it wasn't safe to open the chamber again while I was here. I wasn't going to waste what I had learned about the Chamber, so I preserved my memory in the diary. I was the heir of Slytherin after all, I could open it any time I pleased and it bowed only to me. Do you know why I decided to close it when I did?"

"You wanted to stay here over the summer." Harry had figured that much out, he was the same way, and he had thought that Riddle came from a similar background.

"I was born to a witch, who lived long enough to name me, Tom after my father and Marvolo after hers. Is it any wonder why I would chose to name my diary after my _good_ side? I lived with my muggle father for a few weeks before he shucked me off to the orphanage. I never wanted to go back there again. They threatened to close the school, when I was trying to weed out the filth. I had to shut it down until I could find permanent establishment in the wizarding world."

"Everything you've done is pointless, I know you're behind it, and the mandrakes potion is taking effect as we speak. No one has died."

"That doesn't matter to me anymore. I knew you would be intent on solving this mystery, going to any lengths to do so. My sole purpose after finding out that Ginny stole the book back, afraid you'd find out all of her secrets, had been getting at you. So I'd added flavoring to the steak, intending to draw you down here faster. I made her write her own farewell note and trapped her down here. I knew you were able to make it, what with the whole school knowing you're a parseltongue and with one of your friends attacked, and another down here, I knew you couldn't resist. I didn't think you would be stupid enough to come otherwise. Ginny told me about your other friends as well, her brother, who teased her and a blond girl, who turned out to be my daughter. I never imagined having a child, and there must have been some reason I had her. If you had brought her with, I could finally understand why I let a powerless female exist and be in any house other than my own. No matter, once I get out of here, I will be able to demand these answers of her myself."

Harry swallowed back that information and anything he would say to alert Tom Riddle to Serena's presence down in the tunnels with them. "Why chose to have the name Voldemort at all?"

"I knew one day it would be too feared to speak, I used it with my intimate friends here at Hogwarts. I would never keep my father's name, not when Salazar Slytherin's blood ran through my very veins. My father abandoned me when I was a baby, just because my mother was a witch. My own child went friends with Mudbloods." He spit the word out.

"Your daughter was orphaned as well." Harry spoke slowly, attempting to drag Ginny out of the way, his wand was again in Riddle's hand, perhaps he could get it back. Riddle looked at him bored. "It's true, you murdered her mother, we don't even know who she was. You then died, and she was left upon a muggle's doorstep. Do you see? You are the reason she is how she is. She's just lucky to not have ended up in an orphanage herself." Really lucky to have not ended up like her father.

Riddle seemed furious. "I would have left her in the care of one of my underlings. As for the mother, if she only bore me a female, of course I would kill her. How could anyone dare place the child of the greatest wizard alive, in the hands of _muggles_?" That word and situation seemed to disgust him nearly as much as Lockhart's spineless behavior had earlier with Serena.

"You're wrong." Harry pronounced, letting Ginny go and standing up straight, it caught Riddle's undivided attention. "The greatest sorcerer in the world is not you, it's Dumbledore. Everyone knows it, even when you were at the top of your game, you didn't dare to try and tackle Hogwarts. You said it yourself, you were afraid of Dumbledore. You're still frightened of him, hiding away, pretending its to get stronger, when in fact, you're scared of Dumbledore."

"He was driven out of the castle by the mere memory of me!" Riddle's face was a mask of a very angry and very dark look.

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry was pleading for Dumbledore to magically appear, make good on his word, that as long as someone believed in him, he'd still be here.

Music cut off whatever Tom might have started to say, it grew stronger and higher, his heart swelling in size and flame erupted over the nearest pillar just when it broke the highest note in a finale.

Fawkes swept through the room, dropping a dirty brown thing onto the ground. "Thanks." Harry whispered as the bird rested on his shoulder.

"That's a pheonix! And that-" Tom looked at the dirty thing shrewdly. "Is the old Sorting Hat. This is what your great wizard sends to you as back up? A bird and a worthless hat?" Riddle laughed so loudly that it sounded like ten of him laughing at once, echoing back towards the two in the center of the room. "Tell me now, Harry, how twice you managed to stay alive when its things like these that support you? The longer you talk, the longer you stay alive." The more time spent feeding Ginny's soul to Riddle, and the closer she came to death.

Harry didn't know what use it was but he had to believe the two meant something and even if they didn't, Harry was no longer alone. "I don't know." He shouted abruptly, ready to fight Riddle, if he had to, his courage regained from the presence of others. "All I know is that my common muggle-born mother stopped you with love, dying to save me. I've seen the real you, you're pathetic, weak, small and ugly looking. That's where all your magic's gotten you. You lost to a muggle-born!"

"All I wanted to know has been answered by that simple but powerful counter-charm. I was rather curious, as there's a lot of similarities between us, looks, parseltongue, orphans, raised by muggles, half-bloods. It's a shame my daughter isn't here, she's nothing like us, is she? Can't speak parseltongue, fullblood or at least three-quarters, _blond_. Only similarities are the ones of being orphaned and raised by muggles, very common place lifestyle." He tsked as he shook his head. "Very disappointing."

"I don't see it that way." Harry defended, sliding the hat closer to him with his foot.

"No, I don't suppose you would. She's not dishonoring your good name, now is she? She's a traitor to the Salazar Syltherin blood. I will correct that when I confront her." Riddle looked amused at Harry's efforts to move both girl and hat from his reach. "Now let me teach you a lesson on what happens when Harry Potter attempts to challenge Lord Voldemort, with only a hat and a bird." Tom Riddle called out to the snake hidden behind the wall and water, letting out a long hiss and Harry understood him. It was strange hearing someone else speak it, and hearing both the hiss and understanding the words being said.

Slytherin's giant face was moving, and the mouth opened wide and from it slid out a giant snake and Harry backed away with his eyes squeezed shut, Fawkes lifted off his shoulder and flew away. He wanted to call out to her, not to leave him. He heard the whisper _kill him_.

Harry ducked and fumbled and slid and fell, fearing death at any moment, something crashed into him, sending him to the floor and he braced himself to be pierced by the fangs. Instead he heard thrashing noises and he peaked open to see what was going on. The Basilisk was distracted by Fawkes, its head weaving around the pillars, trying to get at her. Then Fawkes swooped down at the Basilisk and Harry squeezed his eyes shut again as the face turned towards him, but he wasn't quick enough, for he saw that the great beady yellow eyes were plucked clear and were bleeding, splashing blood onto the already slippery floor.

"No, forget the bird, get the boy! He's behind you! Kill him!"

The blinded snake turned towards him, the fangs longer than its head. It struck towards Harry as Fawkes continued her song and pecking at the serpent's face. Harry slid out of the way, running through the vast rows of columns and barely missing the snake as if followed after. Harry ducked into one tunnel and found a dead end, all the rest had been a maze, he wasn't sure why he wouldn't think these would be too. He groped around and found a small rock. The basilisk could smell him and hear him, but the sight and hearing far outweighed the smelling. It would believe the noise before it believed the smell. He waited until the basilisk was close, and then he threw the rock as hard as he could down another tunnel. The basilisk followed it. Harry waited until it was gone before he ran through the tunnels again, he swore he spotted something pale against the darkness of the columns as he neared Ginny and Tom again, but he couldn't be sure and he didn't stop to investigate. Harry swept up the hat and jammed it on his head, he had no other options left to him.

_Help me, please_. He prayed to any who could hear him, prayed for a last minute save, something that could help him defeat this monster. The hat tightened around his head, making it feel like they were trying to squeeze everything out of him, and his eyes felt like they were going to pop out. He tore the hat off his head, and found a handle sticking out from the inside of the hat. It hadn't been there before and he turned just in time to see the giant serpent crawl towards him.

"That's right. Kill him." Tom purred, happy to be able to watch this.

"Stop." Harry commanded. The snake tilted his head, but didn't even hesitate as it continued on its path towards Harry.

"I'm the true heir, it only follows me. Kill the boy." Tom Riddle spoke proudly. The basilisk shot out towards Harry and he barely avoided it. He fell into the water and swam across the small pond and up the side of the face of Slytherin. "You were only gifted with the tongue because of me. You hold none of Slytherin's blood within you."

"No, but I do." A new voice spoke out, Serena stood there, hardly a hair out of place, and smaller than even Harry as she faced off her father, who in his current state was only a year or so older than she was but still towered over her. Her blue eyes were hard as she looked at Tom Riddle. "I am the new heir of Slytherin." She continued. "It is a legacy you have given me. Don't I make you proud, papa?" She lifted a blond eyebrow and Tom was now looking at her curiously.

"This is my child?" He walked around her as he had done Harry. "I see now why I decided to let you live after all."

"I am pleased you think I could care."

"What, no happiness in seeing your dear old father?" Tom held out a hand, as if to touch Serena's chin, but held it only below it before returning it to his side. "Kill the boy."

"No." It was the first time Harry had heard Serena speak parseltongue and was surprised that it came out so fluidly and clear, it was also slightly higher pitched then the two male parselmouths in the room. "Kill the imposter." Serena's eyes narrowed at Tom. "He's a clone of the real thing, after all."

The Basilisk turned as if to do as she wished. "I am your master. I am the one who protects you and brought you out to feed." Tom's voice grew stronger, fighting the Basilisk and his daughter's claim.

"I am more of a pure-blood, heir of Slytherin than you are."

"You disgrace the name of Slytherin. Truer blood runs in my veins, I have less mucking it up." Tom shouted at the snake. "Finish him off!"

"No!"

"Do it now, and then we will deal with her!" The basilisk was commanded by both of them, but it still had the freedom to choose, and Harry did cause it to loose its eye sight. So it chose to ignore Serena's command.

While Harry dealt with the Basilisk, he could not watch the interaction between Serena and Tom. It was odd seeing them together, and it must have been even weirder for Serena to see her father so young, when she had never even known him personally. The snake attacked and Harry knew he had no other opportunities, he was trapped. He took the hat off the sword and thrust it forward as the Basilisk's wide mouth came towards him. The sword went through his head but Harry did not come out of this unharmed. One of the teeth embedded itself into Harry's arm. He fell into the water, taking the tooth with him, and he struggled to the other side, near Ginny. He pulled himself out and lay next to Ginny and Serena was holding her, looking to be in as much pain as he felt. He put a hand to Ginny's cheek. "_Wake up!_" The basilisk was now dead, and Tom was bemoaning his pet, but then he started gloating, Ginny was almost dead and he'd soon be whole. Serena's efforts wouldn't save her, only weaken Serena in the process.

Harry pulled the tooth out of his arm with some effort, he could feel himself loosing touch with reality and in Ginny's hand he saw the diary that Tom's memories were stored. He took it from her and looked at the tooth in his other hand. It was a long shot. He jammed the tooth into the book, blood started squirting out of it.

"No!" Tom denied, trying to move towards them. "Don't do that!"

Harry pulled the tooth out and opened the book, stabbing both pages before flipping the book back over. Tom was fading with every jab and Serena and Ginny were both looking better with each. He put all his weight into the last thrust, and it went through the entire book. He collapsed against the tile, near the two girls, the poison in his arm taking its final effects. "No!" Tom's scream followed Harry's decent, knowing and pleased to see him finally gone.

Fawkes landed near him before Serena could move from Ginny to Harry. Fawkes turned her head and Harry pet it, confused by the tear that welled up into its eye and onto the wound on Harry's arm. Harry faded in and out, but he was sure he saw the flesh mending and he was feeling better.

–

While Harry dealt with the basilisk, Serena had tried to help, but Tom's control over the beast was too strong, he really did like snake familiars. Serena turned to face Tom Marvolo Riddle. "Ginny says your hands burned when you touched her. She tried to stop herself from getting the book back, you'd given her extra life when she didn't have it. She was stronger, briefly. I always wondered what it would take to let you live past infancy. Now I understand." Tom eyed her. "I knew what you'd be."

Serena smirked. "You have no idea what I am."

"I suppose now isn't the time to inform you on precisely what I know. It's not too late to join me, I will overlook your treachery just now. I will be strong and take over this land again. Perhaps the world if I feel so inclined."

Serena laughed lightly. "I don't think so. I've marked my place already."

"So you're prepared to die?" Tom looked pleased by that prospect as well. "I'm sorry that you were raised by muggles. You would have made a fine witch had you been in your proper place."

"Dead? Like you? Holding on by a thread through dark magic, being deceptive and weak, like you? You knew you would die, eventually. You'd come across a greater wizard than yourself and you would fail. It was just a matter of when. You made sure you'd come back again, and again, losing every time."

"What do you know? You can't even conjure a simple spell." Tom was defensive. "I will be teaching you a lesson or two, especially on talking back to Daddy. If it's not this time, it'll be the next attempt. I so wholly believe though it'll be this time though. The girl's almost gone." He pulled out Harry's wand. "Shall I make it go faster?"

Serena's eyes widened in fear and raced to Ginny's side, throwing herself over the girl and covering her head with her hands and body. She wanted to pull Ginny completely out of harms way, but she would protect her now. When Tom started to laugh loudly again, Serena realized he couldn't yet use magic beyond parlor tricks, like the spelling of his name. He wasn't whole yet. Serena held Ginny to her, pushing past the pain at so much contact, and feeding in the energy Ginny needed to stay alive. "Rot in hell." Serena whipped her words across to Tom, seeing his eyes widen in fear and looked over to see Harry practically engulfed by the snake. Then a silver tip broke through the giant serpent's head and the snake fell to the water, taking Harry with it. Harry emerged several fraught minutes later, sword in hand and pulling himself up over the edge of the pool, now darkening in color.

She watched him fret over Ginny like he should, but she couldn't give up her position. Harry didn't seem to hear Tom speak. "You're only aiding me, my child. The life you give her, makes me stronger."

"You're wrong." She whispered furiously back. "I give her longer life, staving you off. My energies cannot reach you. You are too dark, I cannot help you, only save you, if I was so inclined, if you wanted it."

"I'd never want it. I want to destroy all of you, mudbloods, half-bloods and muggles alike. Any who gets in my way, is just causality. I will do right by my basilisk. My poor beautiful creature, struck down by a filthy half-breed. How do you think you can compare with the likes of me?" He was sneering towards Harry, though not really paying any attention to him.

Then Harry was moving again. Serena watched with fascination as Harry pulled the book from Ginny's hand. It had hurt like holding Ginny hurt, when she touched it, but it also hurt and gave her nausea and a deeper feeling of uneasiness. "No! What are you doing! Don't do that?"

Fascinated, Serena watched as Harry rammed home the fang of the creature that was supposed to kill the rest of them, kill Tom instead. Even at so young an age as theirs, he was ready to kill, hated everyone and everything that didn't fit into his neat little world. Blood flowed from the book, and she watched Tom Marvolo Riddle writher in pain as the blood continued squirting blood colored ink. Then he was gone. Ginny was no longer burning the skin off of Serena, because of what the book had done to her, the powers Tom had over her, and what he was doing to her soul, and her body by feeding his own into her.

She was about ready to black out herself when she saw Harry collapse. It took her a long time to untangle herself from Ginny, between the faintness of using so much of her life-source to keep Ginny alive, and the physical damage it caused her because of Tom, it was an effort to move away from the warming body and towards Harry, but she eventually managed to do it. But Fawkes was already there, crying onto the wound.

Serena lifted a heavy hand and pet the bird's head. "Such a beautiful, brave, smart creature, you are." Fawkes turned those tears onto Serena's blacked hands and arms and legs. They were healing, even if her energy wasn't coming back so fast. It would help with the process, not having to get her body to heal as well as her energy, it would cut down on the time, just return energy instead of using it to heal _and_ return energy. A good night's sleep should be all she needed. Fawkes understood her feelings of gratitude and rubbed her face against Serena's cheek. There were burns there as well, that were healed, but it was also a return feeling from the bird.

If the basilisk had managed to get Harry and come after her, she wasn't sure who would have won that battle of wills, would the snake care that she and it could feel each other? Or was it too hungry and blood-thirsty to care?

Serena held out a hand to touch Harry's shoulder, he was starting to stir. He covered her hand with his. "What happened. Did you-?"

Serena shook her head, she wasn't even sure she would have been able to manage it after Ginny. She was very grateful Fawkes was there. "Fawkes."

"Her tears." Harry understood and looked down at his arm. "Amazing."

"She's such an incredible bird." Serena agreed. Ginny started moving and Serena let Harry go to her, and comfort her when she woke up confused and frantic.

Ginny started explaining in broken sentences and fear and just plain confusion and pain covered every word of her speech as she tried to explain what she'd did, or was forced to do and trying to tell Harry but not with Percy there, and how she felt so miserable about all of it. Serena chuckled as Ginny's greatest worry after how Harry had managed to defeat the basilisk and destroy Riddle, was if she would be expelled and what her parents would say.

"Serena! Oh my god, thank you too!" Ginny turned to her, ready to throw her arms around Serena and then thought better of it, looking at Serena worriedly. "Will I hurt you?" Serena shook her head negatively and then Ginny was smothering her in a hug. When Serena could no longer breath and begged to be released, Ginny turned that bone crushing hug on Harry.

Harry glanced at Serena questioningly over red hair, soothing a hand down Ginny's back as she started to cry in relief. Serena shrugged, she didn't know what he wanted to know. He asked a question though that wasn't the one he was trying to figure out, based on Ginny's reaction. "How did you get here? You had gone down a different way after the rock slide."

"These tunnels are like mazes. I reached the serpent door, unsure if I could get in, but I had to try. When Fawkes started singing it gave me the perfect opportunity to move in without behind heard. Tom allowed me another time to move closer. I wanted to wait until I could best help you. You ran a different way first. I saw you after you lost your tail."

Harry shook his head amazed. "I thought I saw something. It was very risky of you, but I'm glad you stepped in when you did."

Serena didn't have to lie about how she got there, it was lucky she didn't have to use her disappearing act, she wasn't sure she would end up in the right place otherwise, and probably wouldn't have been much help to either of them if she had to do it a lot of times.

For one moment Harry had been as blind as the Basilisk, and he bent to retrieve his glasses now, still holding Ginny in one arm. Serena went to go pick up his wand, which fell to the floor from Tom's robes when he disappeared. She eyed the book wearily, she didn't want to touch it ever again. Harry took it for her and she gave him back his wand. "Some day we're going to have a chat about some of your other strange abilities." He waved the book meaningfully and then glanced at Ginny. She knew he was questioning both. "And why you never use your wand in the presence of others. You can use it, can't you?"

Serena laughed forcefully as she helped him stand. "Maybe I want it to remain a secret."

"What? The fact that you can or can't? You do a lot of other things well. Imagine, Voldemort's daughter, a squib!"

"Not to mention all the other powerful dark wizarding blood in my veins." She strained to help him and Ginny stand. Not that she had to lift much, she was just very weak still and she was surprised she was still able to walk around.

Harry laughed as well and held Ginny close. "That _would _be the day. Are you feeling all right? Did he hit you with a spell or something?"

"No, why?"

"You're swaying all over the place. It was a straight line to my wand and you zig-zagged over to it." Harry held out his other hand for Serena to take. "I'm the one that almost died."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Almost doesn't count." Serena led the way, though Harry was going to do that, especially with Serena's odd state but she brushed him off. She followed Fawkes back towards the rock-pile. It took considerably less time to get there than going in had and they were at Harry's side of the pile.

Ron had made a larger hole from the small one Harry had looked through. "Ron! We've got Ginny! She's all right!"

Ron reached and pulled Ginny through first, pulling her into a hug and Fawkes swooped out after her. He was first surprised by the bird and asked questions, about it and Ginny while Harry and Serena followed. "What happened? How come you've got a sword? Serena's with you? How'd that happen?"

"I'll explain later. Come on. Where's Lockhart?" He didn't want to talk about it with the two girls there, Serena didn't seem to flinch, but seeing her dad, even her evil, blood-thirsty father, had to affect her in some way, but she seemed no worse for wear and Ginny was crying harder than ever into Ron's shoulder.

"Blimey, he's messed up in a bad way. You know that spell he meant to use on us? Well it hit him instead. He doesn't know who he is, where he is or who we are. I made him go sit by the entrance, he was a danger to himself."

Lockhart looked at them curiously. "Hello? This is an odd sort of place isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No." Ron responded, looking over Lockhart's head like he was nuts. Fawkes was waving her tail feathers as if she wanted Harry to grab hold. "You're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there."

"Fawkes isn't a normal type of bird." Harry grinned, all of Dumbledore's words coming back to him now. He really must be psychic, Harry decided, it's the only way to explain all these things he seemed to know before hand and to give Harry the clues he needed. OR was really good at reading people. "Everyone join hands, we've got our way back up."

Harry would have let Serena hold onto the tail feathers but she refrained, allowing him, she'd been touching warm things enough for one day, she decided. So it went Fawkes, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Serena, Lockhart. A strange lightness spread through each of them and they were suddenly in flight. "Amazing, this is just like magic!" Lockhart exclaimed, enjoying the ride and before anyone knew it they were back on Myrtle's wet bathroom tiles. The serpent sink sliding back into place and Ron picked up Lockhart's wand and stuffing it back into his robes. Even though he was subdued and forgetful, Ron wasn't about to let Lockhart anywhere near a wand.

"You're alive." Myrtle sounded put out.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Harry was covered in blood, water, slime and who knew what else. He tried wiping it off of him. The others, save for some on Serena, had the same substances on them, except the blood.

"It's just... I was thinking, if you had died, I'd have shared my toilet with you."

"Ugh..." Ron groaned. "You've got Myrtle fond of you. Ginny you've got some competition."

Myrtle left in a huff and Ginny still had tears streaming down her face. "Where now?" Serena asked quietly. Fawkes led them towards McGonagall's office and Serena looked at the door fretfully before Harry knocked. "I think I'll just go back up to the house, take a shower and-"

"No way." Ron grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back into the middle of the group. "You're part of this, and you should be proud of it. We could have probably used you last year, and you're not getting away this time without getting some credit for all you've done for us, especially this year." Last year she had participated in helping them out secretly, leaving hits or clues, or whatever, and taking the blame for some of the after hours wandering, but nothing directly involved, she hadn't wanted to be anyways.

Ron hugged her when she was back where he wanted her to be. It was one-armed, as his other was still around Ginny, but Ginny was also holding hands with Harry. "Thank you, for everything." He whispered in Serena's ear and she nodded. He'd be changing his tune sooner or later. So far he thought this had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. When he learned that truth, he'd be furious at Serena before he realized she didn't actually open it either. Had done nothing but help solve it and save his sister. Had she not been here, nothing would have changed, things just might have taken longer. Though he still had to remember he was mad at her for sending him into a spider pit, though _she_ didn't send him there, she had just thought Hagrid would tell them more about the spiders than he had told her. Guess there wasn't much more to tell. Though she did brave a giant twenty-foot long snake, so they could be even.

The door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Wealsey were there, along with Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. It took a moment before Mrs. Weasley, already sniffling after a bout of crying threw herself around Ginny. "You saved her! You saved her! _How_ did you save her?"

So with Dumbledore standing by the fireplace, McGonagall gasping for breath, holding her chest at the look of them, and hadn't knowing that the three of them had gone down after Ginny themselves, she _would_ have had a heart-attack had she known so ahead of time. Ron and Harry and with a little prompting from Serena on the parts she figured out without them, they explained the whole thing. Harry left out the part about Riddle and Ginny and the diary, even after McGonagall asked how he killed the monster.

Dumbledore eyed him for a long moment before asking his next question. "My sources tell me that Voldemort's in the Albanian Forests, do you mind explaining to me how he managed to bewitch poor Ginny here?"

"Through the diary sir, he inserted a memory. It was able to use Ginny's writings to take her over and steal her soul."

"What have we taught you!" Mr. Weasley seemed flabbergasted as he stood by his daughter protectively with a hand on her shoulder. "Anything that can think for itself is dangerous. If you can't see where its mind is, you can't trust it. It'd be embroiled with Dark Arts."

Ginny looked ready to burst into tears again. Dumbledore lifted a soothing hand. "Now now, Arthur, Voldemort was the smartest wizard Hogwarts has ever turned out. Far older and wiser wizards and witches have been duped by Voldemort. Ginny is not to blame, but she has had a bit of nasty shock. If the two of you would take her up to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey would have a look over her." The Weasley parents led Ginny out.

Professor McGonagall pushed away from the fire. "I will accompany them. See how the Mandrake potion is working out. I was assured they'd be awake at any moment. Should I leave you to deal with these three?"

Ron and Harry exchanged looks as she left, what had she meant, _deal_ with them? They had broken several school rules, and Dumbledore had promised to expel them if they broke any more, but surely after- and Serena-

Dumbledore leaned back slightly as he looked down his glasses. "Now remembering as I said I would expel you in the beginning of the year if you were to break any more school rules, and wizarding ones as well." Harry and Ron tensed, Serena just looked set to what was about to happen. "It seems even I was wrong. You should be expelled for breaking rules, but instead what you did not only saved one life, but ended this misery forever. You will be rewarded two hundred points apiece and awarded medals of merit for helping this school out. Hermione shall also be receiving one and the same points. I seem to have a modest member of our group. Lockhart, would you care to explain your role in all of this?"

Lockhart looked behind him, trying to find who Dumbledore was talking to. Ron hurried in to explain. "He used a memory charm and it backfired on him."

"Fell on your own sword, did you?" Dumbledore's mustache quivered and Lockhart looked up.

"I don't have a sword, but that boy does if you need one."

Dumbledore's eyes showed merriment as he turned to Ron. "Can you take him up to the hospital, they'll need to work on his memory. I need to talk to these two for a moment." Ron looked unsure at the pair of them before guiding Lockhart out and over to the hospital.

"Professor, what is this all about?" Harry asked once the doors closed.

"Sit down you two." They sat quickly and Dumbledore looked at the two of them for a long moment. "So you've met Voldemort, I imagine he was most interested in the two of you."

"Sir." Harry spoke, he had just remembered something he wanted to ask. "Voldemort said there was a curious likeness between the two of us. Even more so than Serena and him."

Dumbledore smiled kindly at the two of them. "We have yet to see how dissimilar Serena is to her father and I don't mean that negatively, Serena." He raised a calming hand. "I only mean I see great things in you Serena, and you could be just as powerful a wizard as your father. But you'd use it differently, I know you would. As for you, Harry, what do you think?"

"I don't think I'm like him!" He caught himself as he spoke too loudly. "I mean, I'm in Gryffindor."

Dumbledore nodded. "I would like to thank you, Harry, only someone who had showed me real loyalty would have brought Fawkes down to you, and with this." He handed Harry the sword. "Look at it closely."

"Godric Gryffindor." Harry stated, wiping the blood from the name on the handle.

"Only a true Gryffindor would have been able to pull this out of the hat. You're in the right house Harry. As for the other similarities. He contrived it that way, he killed your parents, making you just like him. As for speaking parseltongue, you already know that it is only decedents of Slytherin that can speak it, not even all of them. I'm sure you've also figured out that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to you when he confronted your family. Not something, I'm sure he intended to do, and probably doesn't understand the extent of that either."

"Voldemort put a bit of himself in me, so I should be in Syltherin, the sorting hat saw Slytherin in me-"

"By that logic, Harry I should be too." Serena inserted. "The Sorting Hat took longer to decide if I was best used in Slytherin or Gryffindor. It even told me so, that many of my ancestry lines had been there and done well."

"Do you know why you weren't put in Syltherin, either of you?"

"Because I asked it not to." Harry responded.

"Exactly." Dumbledore looked pleased. "It is your choices that makes you different than Voldemort, or Tom Riddle." For awhile nobody spoke and eventually Dumbledore reached into McGonagall's drawer and pulled out a pen and paper. "What the two of you need, is some food and some sleep. I will be writing an advertisement draft for the Prophet, it looks like we'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. We do go through a lot of them, don't we?"

Serena stayed seated while Harry rose to go to the door, understanding that it was a dismissal. He had a lot to think about and Dumbledore had answered his most pressing question. Harry was to the door when it burst open, and Lucius Malfoy didn't even see anyone but Dumbledore, not Harry who he brushed passed or Serena who sat right below him, looking up at him in shock.

Harry glanced down at Lucius' legs and Dobby was there, still trying to finish polishing his shoes. It was only the start to Lucius' unraveling, for not only weren't they polished, but his hair was frazzled as well. "You've seen fit to return to Hogwarts even after your removal of Headmaster?"

"Upset, are we, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked calmly. "When the ministry and govenors heard Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed, they asked me to come back. Interesting stories I heard as well, seems some of them were under the impression that you threatened their families if they didn't agree to your demands in the first place."

"So have you stopped the attacks?" He was pale and blatantly ignored Dumbledore's slight zing.

"We have." And when Lucius asked who was behind it, Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Same person as last time, this time however, Voldemort was working through someone else. By means of this diary." Dumbledore held it for Lucius to see, watching him closely as Lucius saw the hole burnt through the center.

While Dumbledore watched Lucius, Harry was watching Dobby who was looking at Harry then the book then Lucius and then hitting himself with his fists. Harry caught on to his meaning and gestured for him to stop, before Lucius saw what Dobby was doing. "I see."

"A clever plan, for Ginny Weasley would never be free of the blame, even in death, had Harry and her brother Ron not discovered the book." Dumbledore left Serena's name out of it as Malfoy shot Harry a burning glance. "No one would ever know for sure that she wasn't acting of her own free will." Malfoy said nothing and Dumbledore continued. "Imagine, one of the pure-blood families attacking and killing muggle-borns, the strain that would be within the family and the scorn from the other wizards and what would have happened to his muggle-protection act." Dumbledore tsked. "Good thing Riddle's memories are wiped clean from this, who knows what would have happened otherwise."

"I'm glad." Lucius said stiffly.

"Do you know how she got it, Malfoy?" Harry asked sweetly.

"Why would I know or even care?"

"Because you put it there earlier this year, when we were all at Flourish and Blotts, slipping it inside her transfiguration book when mocking her family for their finances."

"Prove it." Malfoy spat.

"No one can do that. But mind you, Malfoy, if any more of Riddle's old school things end up in any more innocent hands, I'm sure Mr. Weasley will not rest until all the power of the ministry reigns down on you."

Malfoy clenched and unclenched his fists, wanting to throttle the Headmaster, but instead he turned and kicked his house-elf. "We're leaving!"

Once they were just out the door, Harry asked for the diary. He pulled off his putrid sock and stuffed it into the book, shoving his foot back into his shoe and ran down the hall to Malfoy. "Wait up!" Malfoy stopped and turned towards Harry, very annoyed to be addressed in such a way and waited for Harry to continue. "You forgot this." Harry shoved the book into Malfoy's hands and Malfoy shoved it at the servant, as if repelled by it.

"It is not mine." Malfoy hissed. "But one day you will meet the same end as your meddling parents." Harry wasn't looking at Malfoy any more, he was motioning for Dobby to open the book. Dobby did so and looked on it in wonder. Malfoy turned to leave, without bothering to look at either of htem. "Come Dobby. I said _come!_" He turned his head to see what the hold up was.

"Master has given me clothes!"

"I have not!"

Dobby tilted the open book towards Malfoy and lifted the sock out. "Master has given Dobby a sock! Dobby is free!"

Malfoy stared at Dobby one long second and before Harry knew what was happening, Malfoy was lunging at him in his furious anger, not even reaching for his normal defense, and the wizard's typical one, forgetting his wand and wanting to use brute force. Harry stumbled backwards. "You've lost me my servant!"

There was a loud bang and Malfoy was on the ground. "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby's crooked brown finger pointed out at Malfoy. "You shall leave _now!_"

Malfoy had no other option and he stood up and spun around, stalking off towards his exit.

"Harry Potter set Dobby free! Thank you Harry Potter, thank you! Your greatness knows no bounds!" Dobby's face split into a wide toothy grin.

"You're welcome. What will you do now?"

"Dobby doesn't know sir, and Dobby likes that feeling!" Dobby threw his arms around Harry's middle and bawled happily.

Harry tried to free himself unsuccessfully. "Well, there's a feast and my friend might be healed-" He tried with words that time.

"Farwell, Harry Potter." With a final crack, Dobby disappeared and Harry wondered how Dobby could do that when no wizard magic would allow it. Maybe elf magic ran on a different frequency or something. Harry shook his head, not knowing the answer.

Serena came bouncing down and wrapped her arm around Harry's. "Come on, we've got a feast to get to, but first, we've got to get cleaned up." She had missed the physical action, again.

"What were you waiting around in Dumbledore's office for?" Harry asked as he let her drag him off towards Gryffindor Tower.

Serena shrugged delicately. "Just talking to him about why I'm here and my birth father."

"And?" Harry pressed.

Serena laughed. "And nothing. I don't have to tell you everything."

"That's the problem, you know. I think you don't tell me nearly enough." She was keeping massive amounts of secrets from him, but he knew intrinsically that she was good, even if those secrets could speed a lot of the process up, and not make him investigate nearly as much as he was.

"Hermione might be up at the tower." Serena cheated and the two of them hurried up. Hermione wasn't, but Ron was and the three of them headed down to the bathrooms to take showers and change clothes. Serena had decided she might as well just burn her robe and uniform and buy a new one for the next semester, especially now that there would be one.

Serena was washing her hair as she reflected on her conversation with Dumbledore once Harry had gone to take care of his little side-project. "Miss Riddle, is there more you wish to discuss with me?"

"I didn't chose Gryffindor." She blurted out, once she had heard Harry's admission, she had started to get nervous, believing the worst of herself.

"Even better, wouldn't you agree?" But Dumbledore clearly saw she didn't. "What's the problem, Serena?

"If I didn't chose it, how do we know I make the correct choices away from that world my father had followed?"

"Your choices have guided you to the right house, the sorting hat had seen that. I do not worry about you making the wrong choice, later on. As long as you follow that strong heart of yours, I imagine you can't be led astray. You may not have pulled the sword from the hat, but what is one sword?" Dumbledore looked at Serena with a raised gray brow.

It was almost like he knew and Serena blushed to her roots.

"Is there something else you wish to discuss with me?"

"How much do you already know?"

"Just that Severus is worried about you. Probably justified, no? As for the specifics, I have not managed to catch anything. I suppose he knows more about it than I do."

"Is there anything you need to know?" Serena questioned, her eyes large and hoped he said no.

Dumbledore shook his head. "As long as you try to be safe, I won't pry into your secrets. Anything you can share with me?" At Serena's look sideways he sighed as he knew that was what he expected for an answer. "If you have no more questions, would you take this letter up to your owl?"

Serena stood and took the letter from his outstretched hand. "Thank you Headmaster." She turned to leave.

"Oh and Serena, one last thing." Serena's head turned to him and he held her gaze. "Be friendlier with Severus, he feels dreadful for what happened fifteen years ago."

Serena left McGonagall's office confused, what had Snape to do with any of this? Snape had treated her nicer than the other students because she was the dark lord's daughter, and he had once been a death eater. She had figured that out on her own, and she hadn't shared that information with anyone, not even Harry, who would have latched onto that information and... now she understood exactly why Snape hadn't wanted her to share that with him. She had promised not to because he'd asked, but now she understood it so much better. It wasn't a good thing, she'd known that all along, but it wasn't something he wanted to get around either, but most of all, the reason she'd now keep it from Harry, was because he hated Snape anyway, but to add on that he was Voldemort's lackey would have not only devastated him, but he'd blame Snape for everything. He did so already, but he would have something more by which to accuse Snape with.

Serena put all confusing thoughts out of her head, she'd have time to deal with them this winter when she wasn't surrounded by these walls, when she was with Ron and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys, if she was still invited, at the burrow. She finished and with a quick flick of her wand, her hair was dry and styled as she normally had it, and then pulled on her pajamas. She dumped her clothes in a trashcan after making sure she had everything out of them, they were torn, and stained, she wouldn't miss them, she had plenty of others, even if she didn't manage to buy any this winter.

This feast was quite unlike any other, there was no competition, no anger, no sadness, only joy. Joy when Hermione came running in, happy that they'd solved the mystery, even without her knowing it all, and doing it without her, she was so proud of them and hugged each. Ron was even still talking to Serena, probably figured whatever anger he'd have towards her being her father's daughter was already finished with last year, and until she'd do something he didn't like, he would let whatever her father did go without holding her over the flames for it. He's still tease her about her father's achievements or anything she did that was similar, but he wouldn't mean any harm by it.

Ron had fully accepted that both Serena and Harry were their own person. There was only happiness when Hagrid came back, taking all four of them up in a hug of gratitude before swiping Ginny out of her chair for her own hug, glad that she was still alive and well. She started to cry again and Hagrid started to cry, but they were left to it in peace.

Cheers erupted from everyone when McGonagall announced Lockhart wouldn't be coming back the following Semester, and that finals were canceled as a special treat, though school would continue through the end of term. _Only_ Hermione was disappointed by the news. Everyone, save the Slytherin table was happy when it was brought to everyone's attention that Gryffindor won the midyear mini-award on account of a thousand points being added that night to the five Gryffindors who had helped end the fear of the Chamber of Secrets once and for all. Harry, Ron and Serena were surprised when they realized the last two hundred points had been given to Ginny, but they accepted it and cheered along with everyone else at the good news.

Serena glanced up at the teacher's table and her eyes found Professor Snape's trained on her. She offered him up one of her usual charming smiles and he faltered for a moment, looking like he was going to smile back at her, but instead he just looked away. It made her snicker, when he chose to _chat_ with Hagrid, rather than acknowledge her smile with one of his own.

The rest of the term finished at speed, only a few differences from the start of the year, no one was afraid of being attacked anymore, whether squib, pure-blood or muggle-born. Lucius Malfoy was sacked from his role as a School Governor and his position with the ministry was on a tight rope. Draco now sulked around and avoided confrontations, Harry was glad, but wasn't sure how long that would last, and Ginny was happy again, humming and chirping away with other first years, not a care in the world, or so it at least seemed and for now, that was a good thing. Dumbledore left a few weeks before term finished with a promise of his return before winter holidays, he had something he needed to see to.

It was time for their last breakfast for the term. Serena had indeed been re-invited, or rather confirmed her position that she was still coming back to the burrow with the Weasleys and Harry was going as well. If Ron had it his way, Harry would come live with the Weasleys at every summer holiday. They would have all remained on at Hogwarts this winter, but after the latest scare with Ginny and in turn Ron, Harry, Hermione and Serena, Mrs. Weasley wanted all her ducklings in line and with her.

Serena thought about going back home, but her place this winter, would have been at Hogwarts, like she promised the year before, and she needed a place that she could clear her head without the pressures of either Hogwarts or her parents telling her what was right and what she should do. Like Dumbledore said, she needed to make her own decisions, it would effect the person she would become.

Harry and Serena were the first ones down to breakfast that day, it was surprising because usually Hermione was there first, followed by Harry and it was a tossup who would lag behind, Serena or Ron. Especially these last few weekends, they'd been getting lazier about making it on time to breakfast, usually only popping in for a roll or something else portable.

Harry was eating and Serena was reading the paper every morning like she had since the beginning of her first year here. It was a gateway into the wizarding world that she'd had no knowledge of before receiving the first owl that informed her of her desired presence. However Serena was also eating, so she couldn't mention all the interesting things she found in the paper, which is why Harry was surprised to hear his name being shouted as Hermione pushed through the doors into the dining hall. Ron following her more slowly, having been coming in anyway when Hermione pushed past.

"Harry! Harry! Sirius Black-"

"Has escaped from Alcatraz!" Serena cut off Hermione, snapping her paper shut. She had been finishing the article on a different page when Hermione came bursting in.

"I think that's Azkaban." Ron corrected dryly.

"Same diff." Serena though was unrepentant. One was maximum security prison for muggles and one was the same but for wizards and witches.

Ron glowered at Serena for being so unmoved and Harry asked what made him curious. "Why should I care?"

Hermione and Ron both stared at him and Serena saw that this was very important and straightened up, trying not to make any more jokes or interruptions. She didn't have all the facts, Ron grew up with it and Hermione devoured the literature but she read today's article. Harley was a bad influence on her, he was always into the dramatic news, and so by association, she had learned to live off of it too. This was the most exciting thing to happen in over a month, and she didn't even know why.

"He is a very dangerous criminal, he's murdered a vast number of muggles and at least three wizards that we're sure of. To top if off, no one has _ever _escaped _Azkaban_." Ron sent Serena a look at the last word, and Serena's mouth moved to a smile that showed all her teeth, looking purposely innocent and Ron groaned and looked away from her, he would never get her to apologize for that intended name exchange.

"He killed Peter Pedigrew, one of your parents' best friends. I heard that Black too had once been friends with them." Hermione filled in, when Harry still looked like he didn't understand the importance behind it or how he was tied in. She grabbed Serena's newspaper and plopped it down, it was front page news. There on the cover was an unkempt crazy looking man, with wild eyes that for just a moment seemed to lock on Harry.

"With Voldemort gone and being locked up in prison, now out, he will probably go one place." Ron surmised.

"Out of the country?" Harry asked hopefully, looking to Serena for back up. He was getting the feeling of impending doom again.

Hermione shook her head and pointed to a line. It declared his rants of revenge and that it was at Hogwarts. "Only one person I think he'd try to target."

"Dumbledore?" Serena asked, surprised.

"Well- maybe." Hermione hadn't thought of that.

"Have I been away so long that you don't recognize me?" The kindly old voice asked and all but Serena scrambled in their seats to face him. "Might I have a word with the two of you, in private?" He rested a hand on Harry's shoulder and was looking undeniably at Serena.

"Of course!" Harry rose to his feet.

"I will be talking to you separately, if you don't mind." Serena nodded and sank back into her chair. Harry followed Dumbledore out of the room and down the hall. "Do you know why I asked to speak to you?" Dumbledore asked and Harry shook his head. "It's because there is danger a foot and you are usually at the center."

"I didn't cause any of it!" Harry protested, he had been on his best behavior, having a peaceful, quiet remainder of the rest of the semester, how going to Hogwarts should have been.

"I know my boy, I do. That doesn't mean you are free from harm. I am sure by now that you've heard of Black's escape." At Harry's nod, Dumbledore continued. "Well, I fear that the safest place for you at the moment is Hogwarts. No one has ever broken into it before and it will lend a hand in keeping anyone who intends to do you harm, from knowing right away where you are. As of this moment, you are expected at the burrow, and not showing up will keep everyone safe. Black would not cause a commotion if you were not there."

"Not even, to demand where I am?" Harry frowned thoughtfully and Dumbledore shook his head. "How are you so sure he's after me?"

"I cannot know for sure, Serena is also at risk. I will be telling her the same thing I am telling you. Not to leave this winter, for any place outside of Hogwarts." Dumbledore's plan had one small flaw to it, nobody had ever escaped from Azkaban, and nobody had ever broken into Hogwarts, what if Black could do both? "As for the worry you have towards the Weasleys, I assure you, Black would not dare venture out of hiding for anyone to know where he is until he could confront the person he was after face to face."

Harry took a deep breath, trying to reassure himself of Dumbledore's insistence, he was far wiser and knew Black far better than he did. "Ok, sir, I will stay here. If you think it is for the best." At least he'd still be able to practice magic and Serena would most likely be around as well. Ron would probably stay on, just not telling his mother he missed the train. Hermione would probably write ahead to her parents, if she too decided she'd rather stay as well, she'd have to otherwise they wouldn't pick her up from the train, they expected her to be with the Weasleys as well.

"Send Serena to me, would you?"

Harry nodded and entered back into the dining hall, he sank down into his chair and Ron was questioning him before he could even say anything to Serena. "So Black is after you, after all?" All three faces looked towards him worried.

"We don't know that for sure." Harry argued, though Dumbledore did seem concerned and didn't tell him anything, like why Black would be after him. "He wants to talk to you." Serena was already getting out of her chair to go do that, and she winked at Harry, she wasn't too concerned.

"Think Dumbledore fears its her because of her father?" Hermione looked towards the doors Serena just disappeared through. "Because he let him rot, and wanting revenge?"

"He used to be my parents' friend, right?" Harry questioned, his mouth felt like paper. Was this Black fellow, really that horrible? That Dumbledore feared for the two of them, even at the Weasleys, surely he would be safe there with two full wizards, and one that was nearly so, and maybe even the other brothers would be there as well. The remaining two nodded. "Maybe he didn't do what everyone says he did, what if he wants revenge for killing his friends? And intends to take it out on Serena?"

The other two looked at him unsure, Ron not quite sure how to tell Harry that it was impossible, and Hermione not knowing enough to prove it to Harry, that Black was almost as bad as Voldemort.

"While you were gone, Malfoy asked Serena to join his family for the Holidays. Serena declined, politely, but let him know that what his father had done to Ginny and Dobby and the rest of the students here was not ok in her book and he would not be ok for awhile, though she didn't blame _him_ for what his father did, but she had to come to terms with how they treated Dobby and wouldn't be joining them because of his father. Heart of gold, that one." Ron was sounding pleased, though when he was explaining he sounded confused, probably wondering how Serena managed to tell Malfoy off, without telling him off, but still able to separate him from his very much alive and very much influential father, especially in Draco's world. "Malfoy left, but while he was disappointed that she wouldn't join them, he was not angry at her refusal. She's kind of amazing."

"Oh don't go getting all hearts in the eyes again." Ginny slapped the back of her brother's head. "She's not interested in you like that."

Hermione slapped the back of Harry's head. "Nor you."

"Hey, what was that for? I already knew that." He rubbed the spot Hermione had slapped, though hers was more playful and didn't hurt at all.

"I did too, but it's an undeniable fact. Just like Hermione is a genius and Harry's got more guts than everyone in this school."

Ginny let it slip by and sank down next to her closest in age brother. "Where is Serena, anyway?"

"Talking with Dumbledore." Serena reclaimed her place next to Ron, pulling the paper back to her. "I'm staying on for the holidays as well." Serena's eyes looked over the paper, memorizing Black's features and something about him seemed very familiar, it struck a cord within her, as if she'd seen him before and couldn't quite place it. "You guys can't owl anyone about our change of plans." Serena added, not glancing up from the paper, she had a new project to work on. With a glance through her lashes at Harry, she knew he was thinking the same thing and he lifted an eyebrow questioning and she gave him the answering look he wanted.

They continued chatting about the new plans for holidays. This time of year, if the students stayed at Hogwarts, the second years were allowed out of Hogwarts and allowed into Hogsmeade, with proper parental permission, of course. Ron, Hermione and Serena already had their forms signed. Harry would have attempted to get Dumbledore or McGonagall to sign it, had this Black thing not popped up. He hadn't thought he would need it until a later weekend in the following term, when he was back from the Burrow. Now that that plan was slashed, he would be attempting to track Black down from inside Hogwarts so he could be let out sometime this year, if not this century and the last thing he wanted was to be forced out of Hogwarts the following summer because he couldn't stay and return to the Dursleys. He'd rather be murdered by Black.

* * *

EAN: So... I was writing this last part and I realized something interesting. It struck me as somewhat reminiscent of season 2 of SM. You know, Harry as Darien, Serena as Serena and Ginny as Rini... Voldemort as Demando/Wiseman... interested in using Ginny for his own devices. I know it's stretching it a bit, but as I was writing, it just sort of hit me like that. Similarities are easy to be found when one is looking, or not looking. I just thought it was funny and wanted to share. Anyone else, your thoughts on that? It as also funny because it hit so perfectly with year 2.

EAN2: So after rereading the book... I realize that I was wrong all along since the beginning of this story... I now understand why Tom Marvolo Riddle would come as a surprise to anyone because hardly anyone knew who he was, he'd undergone transformation, several, and had disappeared and embedded himself in Dark Magic far far away. That admitted, however, I didn't want Voldemort to be Syltherin's _last_ remaining heir. I wanted to change it up and mix up the story. So what I said will still stand, because even the world knowing he's half-blood would have been an issue, they don't need to know that part and just who he was, needing a name change too... (Does anyone else find Riddle a lot like Hitler? Just putting that out there as a side thought, because I know this book is deeply engrained in historical facts, even if Americans don't know all of them...Too many history classes I think. And sword from hat, sword from stone... King Arthur, anyone?) (ooh, AND Pure-blood/true blood... think they named the show that because they couldn't call it pure-blood? don't mind me... haha!) Besides, Serena wouldn't have been viewed as a threat in the first book and the story wouldn't have gone as planned. THAT said, I've already covered it I've already covered it in the story, once people get to know Serena, they can't believe that she's evil and not everyone knows the actual_ direct_ connection is really true. Only Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, Ron and Serena herself, and the Malfoys and Snape. Looks like a long list, but really, its not so much compared to a whole school.

EAN3: Next part, year 3, but in this case, Spring Semester.


	14. Year 2 P2 Chapter 14

Chapter 2

Part 9/14

2nd half

* * *

AN: So... I've got it all mapped out, in my head at least. Chapter 1 was year 1. Chapter 2 is year 2 and 3. Chapter 3 will be year 4 and Chapter 4 will be year 6 and 7. That's right, I'm throwing year 5 out the window, and you're lucky I'm not throwing year 6 out as well. I can sum up year 5 like this: Ministry of Magic doesn't believe Harry or Dumbledore that Voldemort is back. The school gets taken over by them, the ministry finally believes it after a devastating showdown between Dumbledore and Voldemort and Harry's godfather dies. That's it, 2 sentences and it clarifies the whole book. Year 6 can be summed up to this: Harry and Dumbledore work together to take down the Horcruxs, a new potions professor comes in to explain them, and Snape helps Harry with his memory blocks and Harry learns more about his parents and Voldemort. Harry thinks Snape is pure evil because he kills Dumbledore who asks him to do so because its his greatest wish not to ruin a child's innocence because of him. Snape and Malfoy have a bond to make sure Snape completes the mission forward to kill Dumbledore and there are a lot of attempts on his life. Harry learns new ways to do things in potions and new spells. The year 6 only sets Harry up on his way to finding a way to end Voldemort and all of his Horcruxs. Thrown in these two years is a budding romance between Hermione and Ron and Harry and Ginny. Year 6 is summed up in 4 sentences. Now before you all yell at me because those years have a lot more usefulness than I give them credit for, let me be clear, I will touch on very little of Dumbledore's army and parts of year 6. I have way too much to do to take that on and combine it with SM world, and while I could, I don't want to, it would just bog things down. It'll work out, don't you worry. And as for not writing five or six chapters, simple, I don't want to break it up that way. They're only in school for four years in my story. Well... practically.

AN2: I know that this isn't going to follow year 3 exactly, as it shouldn't. While I love the annoying aunt scene in both book and movie, that's just not going to happen. Neither is the train scene with Dementors. Sorry.

AN3: Someone asked awhile ago about Harley, and I think it's time to clarify if it hasn't been figured out yet. Harley is from SM world, it is Haruka. I wanted to stick as close as possible to Haruka but have it be an American name. Sharp, edgy and hip and slightly ambiguous on gender. Kind of like Alex or Kim or Drew, but it was to be near Haruka, and I did a pretty good job matching spelling. I always hated the dub names for the outers, really no one thought them through. Michelle I kept because I could get by with calling her Michi still for Michiru and Setsuna became Susanna, not just _Susan_ yuk. Now going back to Haruka, it is masculine but could fit a woman too, especially because Haruka and Harley are both female masquerading as males. And I say American because it is not strongly an English/British name, it is tied to America in a sense, and Harley is American while the others are British. I also wanted to throw in a little bit of her personality, she has an affinity for all things Automobile, ie Harley Davidson... It all fits together in my wicked little mind.

As for Hotaru... I know the curiosity is where she is, when the other three outers have starring roles, and the inners haven't even been brushed upon. I'm still working on that, I have it planned, but the story hasn't yet caught up with their presence. So I will leave you in the dark about how those will get solved. But the name is the part I'm having the most difficulty on... if I follow my original guidelines, Hotaru would have to be Honoria or Hope or Holly or Honey or something... and a lot of those names are almost as bad as the Dub. Though I am leaning more towards the first two and if Serena had been Bunny Riddle, I could have gotten by with Honey, lol.

Now, onto the second half of Chapter 2... which is the hardest one...

* * *

It was two weeks into the holiday break and Harry was getting restless, the other three were no better off than he was, but there was a light ahead, for second years would finally be allowed out of Hogwarts and into Hogsmeade.

He waited in line with the rest of them, and nudged Serena in the side. "What have you found out?" He'd caught her scrounging the newspaper archive for any mention of Black or any Black in his family and she frowned. "Not much I take it?"

"Very little indeed. The only mention of a Black in his generation besides the escape, arresting article and judgment was something about his sister." She looked away for a moment as they moved up several feet. Harry's burned in his pocket, it wasn't signed, which is why he stayed in the back of the line. At her pause, Harry looked to Serena to continue. "Well, it's rather strange actually. It was just an announcement of marriage, followed a year later with her death."

"Who did she marry?" Serena's lips pressed together, she was too amused to share without having him guess first. Harry caught on. "Well she was a Black. So either following in her brother's footsteps, a rare Gryffindor who turns out evil, or a Slytherin like the rest of them."

"I don't think she was evil." Serena defended the dead woman. "She died at nineteen."

"Not that age is a factor in evil." Harry glanced purposely at Malfoy's goons, missing Malfoy for another two weeks and saw Serena's lips tug downwards, but he didn't apologize and she didn't say anything. "So not old enough to do any damage at least." Harry thought hard about who it could have been and who Serena was keeping a secret for the moment. Hermione glanced back at them, just behind them in line, and having overheard the conversation.

Harry waited for Hermione to venture a guess, but she shared a look with Ron first, who was also listening in. "She married someone? A famous person?"

"Relatively." Serena agreed, but remained elusive.

"A professor then?" Hermione shared a look with Serena who held her gaze for a long time before nodding.

"A professor that still works here?" Another nod and Harry frowned.

"Dumbledore?" Ron asked, but it was a throwaway question just to get rid of the possibility, they all knew, or thought they knew that the headmaster had never married.

Serena laughed and it was answer enough. Harry threw out the most random name, trying to narrow it down. "Professor Binns?" Serena shook her head, he was a ghost, and way before the Blacks.

"Flitwick?" Hermione's lips quirked upwards, a Black marrying anything other than another pure witch or wizard would have been very shocking news, and probably cause for the death of a family member, by a family member.

Serena knew what Hermione was thinking and wrinkled her nose, that wasn't the answer either, but it was a good game to play while they waited in line. "Beery?" Harry asked at her shoulder, trying to think of who else was possibly married now or at one time, he was a wizard afterall, even if he preferred the drama aspect of this life.

Ron made a face, Quirrell was long gone and so was Lockhart, and he was trying to think of any other teacher they knew. Kettleburn was gone, to be replaced with... "Hagrid?" He almost sounded offended if Hagrid had married a Black.

Serena laughed. "Ah no. I don't think so Ron."

"But that only leaves-" Harry couldn't finish, it was just mindboggling and Serena nodded.

Serena grinned. "Yep, our very own moody potions master, Professor Snape had married a Miss Cassandra Black."

"Who in their right mind would ever marry Snape?" Ron made a face and then enlightment came upon him. "You don't suspect that _that's_ why she married him, do you? That she wasn't in her right mind and that the Blacks wanted to marry her off to whoever would take her. That's disgusting."

Serena sighed and Hermione spoke. "It could possibly be that Ron, but I think it had more to do with uniting the right families. It's a shame that she died so young and only after a year of marriage."

Ron shuddered. "But think, there could be a Snape-Black mix wondering around these halls at this very moment, and think of the damage they could do!"

Harry saw Serena's eyes flicker away from Ron for a moment as if steeling herself before they returned to their redheaded friend and grinned. "Just think of it!" The words sounded a tad patronizing to Harry's ears, but that might have been because Serena seemed to like all the difficult cases, trying to find the good in all of them. If there had been a Snape-Black child their age, he hadn't any doubt that she would be best friends with them. But he had a feeling that there was more to this than Serena was sharing. He didn't have a chance to press her on it as they were now in the front of the line, and Hermione and Ron brandished their papers to McGonagall.

McGonagall ticked them off the list and then took Harry's form. "I can't accept this unless it is signed by a guardian or parent."

"I was hoping you'd be able to sign it."

"I can't Harry, how would it look? No, you'll have to wait until this can be taken care of by your family. Miss Riddle." Serena handed hers over and McGonagall glanced at it and sighed heavily. "I can't take yours either."

"But its been signed by my parents."

"They're not your parents." McGonagall pointed out, though softly, so the rest wouldn't overhear.

"Then they're my Guardians." Serena insisted.

"That's all very well and good Miss Riddle, but the truth is, I'm not allowed to let the two of you out and wandering away from the castle. Perhaps after Sirius Black is caught."

"But there hasn't been any news or sightings of him in over two weeks! He's probably long gone!" Harry insisted, at least Serena should be allowed out, she had hers signed, he accepted that.

"I am under strict orders by Dumbledore not to let you leave. You're safer on the grounds."

Serena huffed and turned to the waiting pair. "Go on. I'm not joining you it seems, neither is Harry."

"Yeah, go ahead, it's all right, we'll do something here." Harry agreed. "See you afterwards."

With reluctance Hermione and Ron left and went into Hogsmeade but Serena after her initial annoyance, smirked, glad those two would have some alone time. Then she glanced over at Harry who grinned and they raced upstairs.

* * *

Harry and Serena found a small corner downstairs, away from prying eyes, but near the exit out of the castle and towards Hogsmeade. Harry threw the cloak over the two of them and they started out on the snowy path towards the exit. George and Fred were on their way in, having enough for the day, and knowing that they'd have the rest of the break to go into town. Once they learned the quad-squad were staying on, they conveniently forgot to mention this to Percy and whispered what to tell their mum to Ginny as they purposely missed the train as well.

The twins saw the footprints being created in the snow, and slapped each other high-five before each grabbing one of the hidden underclassmen and dragging them back off to where they had originally come from. "Nice try you two, but not good enough." Fred pulled the cloak off after setting Serena down and Harry grabbed at it.

"What's the big idea?" Harry folded the cloak and put it away. "We could have gotten out, nobody would have noticed."

"I think two sets of footprints going out of the castle in the new snow would have drawn attention." George ruffled Serena's hair, who was already ruffled enough, having been manhandled again so easily due to her short stature. Though she couldn't be too angry at the twins, they would be the first to step in front of her to protect her, even if it was just because they thought she was too delicate to take care of herself.

Perhaps they were right. And Harry had been lifted up nearly as easy, being only a few inches taller than her, for now. He kept growing and she kept remaining the same size, probably already reaching her max height. She ducked when Fred tried to do the same thing and frowned at the two of them, crossing her arms in front of her. They both grinned cheekily at her before getting down to business. "It's a real shame we have to part with this."

"But we figure the two of you, being under house arrest, need it more than we do."

"Use it well and don't lose it."

One of them, Harry lost track as they spoke, pulled out a wand and tapped it three times. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." The two second years watched as words appeared on the parchment and Serena reached out a finger to trace the hallway that the four of them were standing in, then she flipped a flap.

"Is that really-?"

"Dumbledore." Fred and George spoke at the same time, then one picked up the thought. "He's pacing in his study, does that a lot."

"More so than he used to."

"Where did you get this?" Serena asked in amazement, trying to memorize each and every pathway.

"Nicked it from Filch in our year one." George explained.

"It shows where everyone is, and we mean everyone."

"Use it well." They spoke together again. "We suggest this path, leads to the basement of Honeysuckle."

"There's seven in all."

"Better hurry though, Filch is coming this way."

"Oh and Harry, when you're done with it, say."

"Mischief managed." Together they spoke.

Then they left, ruffling up Serena's blond locks again and throwing her a wink as they left. Harry shook his head, he thought the twins to be great, but sometimes interacting with them was like being Alice and working with Tweedledee and Tweedledum and never knowing which was which or what they were really saying.

Serena grinned, and snatched the paper out of his hands. "I love those boys!" Harry couldn't help but laugh as he followed her to where the twins had pointed out and found the one eyed witch.

"Best not to tell Hermione and Ron about this today. They should be back anytime now." They had deviated from their intentions after they got the cloak and started their own snowball fight and ate some of the free food Hogwarts had for the holiday season. "Hermione will have a fit over this." Harry tapped it with his finger as they slid in through a door and found the hidden passageway the twins had pointed out.

The path was surprisingly short and they found themselves in the cellar of Honeydukes before they could even think that the twins had sent them on the wrong path. Harry left Serena in the cellar for a moment so he could check if the coast was clear. He slipped into the Three Broom Sticks and nicked one of the Butterbeers, while looking to see if the professors were still there. Then he went back and picked up Serena. He led the way away from town a bit so they could share it. He'd leave some money on the way back in, along with the empty glass.

Serena just laughed at him as he removed the cloak and they wandered around on the outskirts. "What's that?" Serena asked as they sat on a hillside and looked over a deep valley that was blocked off by a fence and past it was water and jagged rocks which led to a shack alone on a pillar of ground, surrounded by treacherous land and seemingly impossible to get to.

Harry shrugged. "Beats me." They had finished the Butterbeer and he picked it up, looking at the glass. "Are you ready to see some of the other sights?"

"Sounds good." Serena stood and brushed off the snow covering her where she sat and rested against the hillside. Harry followed suit. They left the glass outside the door to the back of the Three Broom Sticks and wandered the shops, blending in, with their Gryffindor hoods pulled up. Harry hesitated once they passed a large bush near the other side of the town. He thought for sure he saw two large eyes staring out at him and it reminded him too much of Dobby just to let it go without further inspection, though like Dobby, there was no further sign of it.

Serena caught a light rustling as Harry approach and then it was gone, whatever it was. "Harry-" She grabbed onto his arm. "Maybe we should go back."

"Yeah, one second, I thought I saw something." Harry had looked into the bush, but something else had caught his attention once he moved down the worn path away from the school. There was a man, sitting by himself, looking out over the frozen lake. Harry took Serena's elbow and pulled her along, moving into the treeline and keeping the two of them out of sight. "Who do you think he is?" Harry asked as he crouched, watching the man. He looked like he was sleeping.

"I don't know. It's Hogsmeade, people come here for things other than entertaining the children and professors of the nearby school. It could be anyone." Serena grabbed Harry's arm and pointed out the large black, mangy looking dog that was starting down the path towards them. "What is that doing here, by itself?"

Dogs weren't something Serena thought she'd see much of in the wizarding world, cats being a typical familiar for witches and owls for sorcerers and rats being a typical test subject for any type of research or learning environment. "I don't know." Harry pulled his wand out slowly, going to confront it, but it turned and bolted, having no possibility in seeing Harry or Serena, but possibly the man asleep on the hill.

The rest of the town was far beyond them, they couldn't even hear the general chatter of people walking by or talking. Nobody could see them or hear them if they needed help. Perhaps it was a mistake to come out here, just the two of them. Only the man on the hill, who seemed harmless enough and possibly defenseless too and would be no help if something were to go down. Then again, he could be the Ted Bundy of the Wizarding world.

Harry moved to go after the dog and Serena didn't notice or try to stop him until he was already halfway between her and the sleeping man, but angled away from both, towards where the dog had come from and returned to. A dark shadow began to grow and Serena shivered with the cold she hadn't noticed before. The air was damp and the trees around her started to grow ice crystals as if the air had suddenly dipped several degrees. Serena glanced up in surprise and saw a dark form closing in on Harry, she struggled to move, but was growing weak and watched Harry slump, falling to the ground. She pulled out her wand, but had no need to use it as the man sprang to his feet, and aimed it at the cloaked floating figure. "Expectro Petronum!" A brilliant bright light shone out from the end of his wand, reminding Serena of when someone used it for a guide at night or one of her own attacks, save for the latter at times, this bright light was so much larger.

Serena stumbled down the hill as things returned to a warmer temperature and she could begin to feel her legs again like a normal person. It had affected her in a different way too, she was generally a very happy person, with a bright outlook on life, even if she didn't always share it, but it was the first time in her life that things looked grim, as if she may never be happy again.

"What was that!" She demanded of the man turning Harry over onto his back and she dropped down to her knees by her best friend. "Will he be all right?"

"He's just fainted." The man with the reddish brown hair calmed. Serena leaned over Harry, putting her ear to his chest, and trying to listen to hear if he was breathing and if his heart was beating. "Really, he'll be fine. He's not the first one to faint with a dementor's presence."

Serena pulled away from her friend, keeping his hand in hers and looked at the man who had saved her friend, and possibly her as well. "Who are you?"

The man was looking at her with something in his eyes, something that wasn't just recognition. She worried briefly if he was afraid of her. Not many recognized her and if they did, they either ignored it, tried to cater to her or ignored her completely or maybe a slight acknowledgment and respect. This was a new thing to be treated to, because beyond the flicker of unease was a hatred, but she wasn't sure if it was directed towards her. He didn't need to say anything to her, for her to know that he knew exactly who she was. "I am R.J. Lupin." He helped eased Harry into a sitting position as he came to. "You're new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Harry was grateful for Lupin's help, but finding out who he was, made him a little weary, already two DADA teachers had turned out to be phonies, and Snape wanted that position as well, so he wasn't sure what this one would bring. "Right, nice to meet you." He didn't seem evil or squirrel-ly, he actually seemed pretty normal. "What did you do just then?"

"It's called a Petronus charm." Lupin explained. "It pushes back the dementors. Usually they leave after being hit by that."

"And what exactly is a Dementor?" Serena asked by Harry's feet. Harry looked to her and almost forgot she had been with him. They would be in loads of trouble if anyone knew they snuck out, and how.

"They guard Azkaban." Lupin explained, taking off his cloak and dropping it onto Serena's shaking shoulders. "Come on, I'll buy the two of you a warm drink." It was a little bit of reluctance and polite protest that they followed Lupin to Madam Puddifoot's for some tea. It was the holiday season, so it wasn't dressied up quite as much as it was during Valentines, something she thrived on. It wasn't quite so awkward then, and a quick glance around ensured that Ron and Hermione weren't there either. They ordered their drinks and sat at a table waiting for them when Lupin returned to the conversation and topic that brought them together. "Right then, Harry, what is it you'd like to know?"

Harry visibly reacted to being addressed so informally and without proper introductions, more surprised than anything that Lupin knew his name. "Did-"

"No, Miss Riddle didn't breath a word. I'd recognize you anywhere, even without that scar." Lupin smiled, trying to lessen the impact, he'd eventually explain that comment, someday, perhaps in private. Serena didn't respond to being addressed so formally after Harry being spoken to in his given name. Then again, she already knew he knew who she was, so the name didn't sound foreign.

"Well... I guess what I'm wondering about is my reaction. How did they do that?"

"They feed on the darkest memories, forcing you to relive them, giving them more of yourself."

"They suck the happiness out of you." Serena mumbled.

"That's just a side-effect, they like the dark memories, but it makes it harder for you to hold onto the happy ones. I imagine, if you had been closer Miss Riddle, I would have had two unconscious students on my hands."

Harry looked towards Serena with something akin to confusion. "You didn't faint?" Serena shook her head. "No, I don't imagine _you_ would."

"It isn't something to be ashamed of, Harry. I imagine you have a lot of dark memories that they can pull from you. It is the trick of learning how to deal with it." Lupin glanced at Serena with a little of his own confusion. "How'd the two of you get to be friends?"

"We live near one another." Serena answered, cutting off whatever explanation Harry would have given, and kept it short. "It was easy steps from there."

"In England, you live near each other?" Lupin repeated, looking a tad faint. Harry nodded, watching Lupin's eyes as they searched Serena's face. "I can't imagine how Dumbledore let that happen."

"I suspect he's pleased." Harry suggested. "It's the ultimate joke."

Lupin stared at Harry for a moment before it filtered in and he laughed. "I suppose. Are you anything like your dad?" He asked the blond across from him, angled that way so he could keep an eye on her, and keep Harry near him to pull out of the way.

"Nothing." Serena responded lightly and Lupin could see it, from her appearance to her personality.

He nodded. "Good then, Serena was it?"

Serena and Harry both knew that she had just been accepted, maybe not fully, but as much as she needed to be by this surprising wizard. "Yes Professor."

They talked the rest of the time as they sipped their perfectly warmed tea that never cooled. It was an easy conversation, which surprised Harry as Lupin was a professor, but as the day waned, seemed more like a family friend or Serena's parents. Serena didn't even carry the conversation, Lupin seemed interested in Harry's life and Harry was glad to get to know this professor. That was not to say that Serena did not participate, and Lupin was genuinely interested in what she had to say. Some of what she said even surprised Harry as they never broached those topics, was never relevant.

Then they parted ways, Lupin headed towards the castle the way that most people went and Harry said that he and Serena were going to grab a few more things before heading up. Lupin glanced at Harry, amusement in his eyes, as if he knew something more, knew what Harry was up to. Harry thought briefly that Lupin had it wrong, what they were up to wasn't at all what he was probably thinking. Harry nudged Serena towards Honeydukes and they waved to Lupin until he was out of sight then they slipped in the building as well. Serena slipped away and down the stairs before Harry joined her, having not been noticed by anyone wondering why two fifteen year olds were going downstairs and away from the actual shop and sweets.

Serena opened the trap door and Harry slipped in before Serena joined him, pulling the door shut behind her. They walked the short walk back to the castle side by side without saying much. Serena pulled out the marauders map and handed it to Harry who already his wand out. "Illuminos." She whispered when her own wand was out and he was calling on the information the map could part.

There was someone in the room near the statue, and they were practically on top of their names, but the person moved away and the name became clearer. It was Nora and she seemed to wait a very long time, staring at the spot they occupied, only a floor below. Filch came and wandered around the room but found no one. It was weird that with all the time he'd spent in the castle, longer than any normal student, wandering more than any teacher, that he had not found the secret passageways that these four boys had done and recorded as well as bewitch it to know where _everyone_ was. Serena and Harry huddled under the statue for a long time, barely breathing in case it gave them away and let out of sigh of relief with Filch left and with reluctance, so did Nora.

The two second years waited a long time, ensuring that the two were far away and weren't thinking of coming back before they slowly climbed up and out into the room. Then making sure everything was in place, they hurried back up to the Gryffindor common room, it was already growing dark outside and they would be expected either there or the cafeteria.

Oliver was there when they let themselves back in and he clasped Harry on the shoulder and Serena tried to slip away when his hand landed on hers as well. "Just the two people I was looking for! Some of our team is gone for the Holidays, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind stepping in for a little while."

"For what Wood?" Serena was a little weary, she knew what he wanted. She liked flying on the broom and playing, but he was getting too comfortable with her playing Quidditch and would convince Harry for her to join as well, despite her clear desires otherwise.

"Hermione agreed, though it took some convincing." Oliver ignored her question for the moment, and Serena was impressed, Hermione didn't mind the broom as much as other forms of flying, but she still didn't like it. "Practice tomorrow morning."

"I guess." Serena sighed tortured, though she was only playing it up. "But I want something in return, Wood. This is the fourth time you've roped me in."

Wood's brown eyes looked at her patiently, willing to give her anything she asked for, if she would do this for him. "Whatever you want Serena."

Serena held his eyes for a long time and then shook her head. "You won't find out what it is yet. One day I will ask you for it and you better deliver."

Harry whispered an aside to Oliver. "She doesn't know what she wants from you yet. She was just testing you, not actually thinking you'd agree." Oliver and Harry shared a laugh as Serena went and plopped down next to Hermione, looking over her shoulder at what she was reading. Harry and Oliver talked for a little longer, and no one asked where they had been or why they were dressed for outside. They just assumed they had gone to Hagrid's or something.

Ron pulled Serena into a chess game, but unlike Harry, she couldn't hold her own for long and the game was short. The only time she was decent is if she related it to a real life scenario but even then she disliked the set rules, as they weren't reasonable in the real world, you wouldn't just stand there and let someone take you down because that was the location you chose to move to, you would try to duck out of the way and take any attack you could to weaken the enemy. Perhaps it was because she was usually alone, that she didn't understand the point of trying to ignore all else and get towards the King when others were stronger and more of a risk against the opponent's way of life.

She kept this analysis to herself and feigned that she just didn't think logically like this, and it partly was true. However Ron enjoyed playing with her, it wasn't the same moves every time, as when he was equally paired with someone who knew how to take the opponent out in three moves, and he knew those same three moves and how to block them. It gave him a chance to do something else. It still only took him three moves to win every time, but it was different, it looked different to her at least. Finally Serena threw the towel in. "That's it, I give up! You're just too good for me Ron!"

Hermione laughed and put down her book and came over, resting her arms on Serena's shoulders, looking at the freshly laid out board. She whispered into Serena's ear and Serena grudgingly moved the pawn. She really was growing tired of this game, but Hermione disappeared after that initial support. She still lost, but it was in ten moves instead of three. She gave up and sank down again next to Hermione. "Serena, if there was a real war..." Hermione let it pause there for a moment, as they all realized what kind of battle it would be, and how it almost came about twice now. "Knowing where your enemy is going to attack and how is very important. A lot of times a war is won and lost before either side makes the first move. When both know what the other is going to do and how to combat it and what to do instead and how that is going to be treated. That's why sometimes the players win in three moves, at chess, and in life, one strategic strike and its over."

Serena bit her bottom lip, thinking. What Hermione said was true, but she often just followed her heart and went with the flow and tried to do the best she could. "With Voldemort, he is going to try to be ten steps ahead of you, and there are too many players for him to pin down completely."

"He knows a lot of us very well by now. He knows how we'll most likely react and what we'll do, what we're capable of."

"How can he, when we're still finding that out ourselves?" Serena pulled her knees to her chest as she sat looking into the fire. "No one ever knows someone else completely, sometimes they even surprise themselves. Besides, he's not making up the rules and making us dance to them. There aren't set rules, things change, can be manipulated in either direction."

"Just like a square." Ron pointed out. "I can have it, but you can take it from me. Just like a person."

"A traitor, either way." Serena nodded, she understood, and Harry pulled his head up, he had laid down next to the fire, content to just relax there, and observe. He frowned, thinking of all the people that he thought he knew and if any of them were capable of betraying their friends. Only a few came to mind, but then it wasn't really betrayal with them, it was half expected. He put his head back down, no, no one he knew was capable of that, not without someone else being well aware of the possibility. Serena shook herself. "No more of this sad talk, it was supposed to be a game, right? It was supposed to be fun. I'm just not good at that sort of thing."

Hermione was looking at Serena, thoughts whirling around in her head as she looked at the blond, Ron had already moved on to a different topic and Serena replied. Harry watched Hermione watch Serena, wondering what had suddenly sparked in the girl's mind. The brunette shook her head and went back to her book. "Say, Hermione, what are you reading?"

"I'm getting ahead on this term's reading." Hermione responded, turning the book to him. It was a book on Ancient Runes.

"What other classes are you taking?"

"Muggle Studies, divination, potions, DADA, transfiguration, etc. A lot of the ones you guys are in."

"Why are you taking Muggle Studies?" Ron asked, catching that. "How are you taking so many courses?"

"I suppose I could drop that, seeing as how I've lived in that world, but I wanted to see the different perspective. Muggles don't know that they're being studied, so they are only interested in their history and a lot of it is unexplainable or 'forgotten' but events did happen. Here they tell us the truth to some of those events and what really happened to make people forget or the missing component that muggles don't realize are possible. It's rather interesting, and to see how wizards are sometimes so fascinated about muggles and why they do what they do or even how in some cases."

"Sounds like my dad, why don't you just talk to him instead of spreading yourself so thin."

"Because then it is not a debate, but rather a load of questions about the purpose of certain objects and why they hold such intrinsic meaning." Hermione snapped her book shut. "Or would you rather discuss it with me? What do you know of muggles?"

"That's not fair, Hermione. He's friends with all of us." Serena put her hand over Hermione's. "We all hail from the muggle world. He asked a very reasonable question. Neither Harry nor I are taking that class, but you have a point too, it's a scholarly one though. I think he just worries that you are taking too much on." They had seen Hermione frazzled at times this year and could not understand how she did it, she seemed to age so much faster than them. "Maybe it would be a good paper or book once you finish school."

"I'll think about it." Hermione sagged back into the couch. "Perhaps you're right, too many classes isn't good." Hermione smiled at Serena. "Thank you for your concern Serena, you are a dear friend. You too Harry." Harry hadn't said anything to warrant that, but with Ron's protest that it had been him to express the concern first, Hermione got exactly the reaction she was aiming towards. "Oh Ron you dummy, of course I'm appreciative of your concern as well. Thank you."

"What have the two of you been up to today?"

"Oh not much, a little bit of walking, sitting, snow ball fights, you know the usual." Serena shared an amused look with Harry and she continued where he left off.

"Ate some food, had some things to drink. Found new locations in the castle." Harry lifted an eyebrow when she mentioned that. "There's this great new room, it has large scenery paintings of areas I've never been to, but they're so big it feels like you could just walk into them."

"Ooh..." Hermione perked up. "I've been to that room. It's near the library." She nodded appreciatively. "I think someone tried to walk into the India one."

The boys looked at each other, they'd never heard of such a room. "I take it you weren't with her then on this discovery."

"No, 'fraid not. They'll have to show us some time."

As they laughed they never noticed the dark sky outside growing darker, not until Serena shivered and Harry felt a little nauseous. "What's that?" Ron's question was only answered by the collapsing of two of the occupants in the room.

* * *

EAN: I had a hard time trying to figure out how to start this second half. I had a lot of different ideas floating around, and each one lead to a very different year. How did you like it? Any thoughts? I know it's not the same as the book/movie, but other than changing it to fit that version, I'm open to any considerations.

EAN2: Starting after this one, the titles are now going to match the _CHANGED _FFN titles, however, I'm not going into the other chapters to only make that small change.. only on FFN chapter title.

EAN3: I REALLY love the twins. Loved the characters but the actors just amuse me too much. Year Seven just bums me out... I'm glad they seem to have more of a presence in the movies than they do in the books. Perhaps its just because the movies are shorter and they have all their scenes intact, whatever it is, glad of it. As for the actors who played Lupin and Sirius... seriously, I know they're famous, like a lot of the other adult actors in the film, but... they just didn't fit my image. Lupin was ok, looks wise, maybe a little more awkward that I imagined, but he didn't do as good a job at acting as I hoped he would, that he's capable of. As for Gary Oldman, that was a shame. He's growing on me, but he had too small of a part to really enjoy or spread his wings, plus I imagined a very suave and debonair guy originally who turned rough and wild, so still very handsome, and it didn't turn out that way. And they were both too old. They should have only been in their early thirties, not late forties. But I love the characters so I can forgive the acting/casting and enjoy it anyways. Who would have loved Johnny Deep for Sirius? Not that he's who I imagined either... but closer. I guess my major beef is that they're all fuddy-duddies after supposedly being so mischievous and cool in their school days... giving the twins a run for their money with their antics... and a little less nice, I suppose.

EAN4: And to think, there's a Jacob Black that's either an animagous or werewolf or shapeshifter... wonder if he's the American squib cousin the Blacks never speak of...

EAN5: I'm thinking that Voldemort is more like Napoleon than Hitler with his defeat and then rise to power again and brief reign before being defeated once more forever. Though his cruelty, and persecution of part of his own background does lend to the Hitler idea, nobody ever mentions Napoleon. Just a thought.

EAN6: And it's the very last one... I might be changing the above chapter slightly, later on... I haven't decided yet, so if I do, I will tell you. But for now, I hope you enjoyed it. It took me three tries to even get here.


	15. Chapter 15

Year 2

Chapter 10/15

2nd half

* * *

AN: This will be a brief AN, unlike the other one... haha... I have changed the above wording to reflect the new FFN wording. I think this will make more sense to you guys at least. As for the story... how are we liking it?

* * *

Serena hadn't realized that Harry went through so much when he fainted, or why he fainted. Lupin had explained it, but she never fully got it until she felt it herself. It was like she was being pulled away from her body, away from the here and now and forced into a part of her that she had either forgotten or never knew existed.

She felt like she was on a tornado, cycling in on itself as images flashed before her. If she was prone to similes, it would have been like being in Dorothy's house. She couldn't make sense of it. She saw people, images of places or things, different lights and noises, the noises above all made both the most and the least sense.

There were dull thuds as if something had been dropped, or many things. There were crashes and things splinting apart and breaking. Screams and cries and tears and sobs. Something akin to an explosion, things falling, things flying, things landing, and not as dull thuds. One color stuck with her though, it was an orange haze, and it took up most of her vision.

A word was whispered, taunting her at the furthest reaches of her mind. It was her name, or rather the name that her parents had told her belonged to her, the one that they based her current one off of. She didn't know who said it, but it sounded like a female. "Serenity."

Then she was pulled from the chaos, they disappeared instantly, all the images and sounds, just what she could remember and held on to, and then she was able to open her eyes again and looked into concerned blue ones, almost nose to nose with the person over her. Then orange invaded her vision again and she giggled as she realized it was Fred and George and she could see one of each eye so close to her, that their hair and eyes tried to make one face to her tired brain.

"Well she seems to be in good spirits." Fred commented, pulling back so he and George could help her into a sitting position. Somehow she'd landed on the floor and on her back. Harry was still in the same laying position he had been in before, except Hermione and Ron were fussing over him, and helping him up as well.

"Are you feeling alright otherwise? You fell off the couch and gave us all quite a fright, we had to push those two off of you when we all realized you weren't the only one suddenly not moving." George pushed back her hair, it was sticking to her _cold_ sweat on her forehead.

"It was rather raggedy breathing. Only indication you were still alive. Almost brought you down to hospital." Fred used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe off some of the moisture. She tried to duck, but they held her still. She wasn't used to this much babying by boys, her parents watched her closely, and it still surprised her that she was allowed to leave their sight at all to come here. But then again she was pretty persuasive when she needed to be, wanted to be.

"Thank you boys for your help, really." Serena batted their hands away, knowing that this concern wouldn't last and they'd be ruffling her hair or something else equally annoying. "How's Harry?" She understood what had just happened, just didn't realize it would happen to her too if they got too close. From what Lupin said and what she understood was that they fed off dark memories, removing all joy and happiness from her and no one could have darker memories than her, even if they weren't easily accessible, even if she didn't remember them herself, they could still pull them. Only one or two could have beaten her, and Harry, despite his winching, would never reach hers, not unless he turned dark.

Fred and George station themselves on either side of her and were there if she were to suddenly face-plant, again. She now felt the bruise on her nose, owie.

Harry for his part had blacked out, but could still hear the woman screaming. It was no different than earlier today, but neither he nor Serena could explain that well, at least not now. Perhaps after they explained about the map... but not here. He snickered at Serena's predicament, Fred and George now would probably never leave her alone if they suspected her to have that kind of reaction often. Harry couldn't find it in him to be jealous, he didn't want them fussing over him like that. Maybe it was the Butterbeer having an adverse reaction, because those dementors couldn't be at the school, Dumbledore would never allow it, not if it could do that to his students.

"I'm fine Weasleys, really and tomorrow I am going to single-handily defeat all of you at Quidditch."

"Ooh, thems fighting words." George teased, leaning back against the couch, not budging or rising to her bait otherwise.

"We're so scared." Fred continued, copying his brother's movements and crossing his arms. "Though Ron should be bowing out, he's an easy target."

"Hey! I'm going to go pro and you'll have to buy your own tickets, if you can get them."

"Why would we want to go to any of your games?" George taunted, he and Fred both picked up one of her ponytails and played with them. They didn't tangle the long strands or pull her head, so she let them get away with it.

Ron reached for a strand and Serena went to swat him away, but the twins beat her to it. "It's our right, didn't we earn it today, Serena?" Fred teased her and Serena rolled her eyes.

"I swear if I had known favors would cost me so much, I'd go live on my own." Though she's never survive, not just because of the skills needed to, but she would shrivel up and die if she didn't have people around.

Fred and George just laughed. Serena stayed up with the group for awhile longer but when Hermione went up, she joined her. Hermione turned on Serena when she checked that everyone was sleeping. "What aren't you telling me?"

Serena swore that anything related to the Wizarding world was impossible to keep a secret. Too many people talked about these things or hinted at it and Hermione was just too smart, she caught on too quickly. Hermione reminded her of someone and she couldn't place who. "I haven't the faintest idea what you are on about." Serena waited just long enough to process Hermione's words before responding and Hermione hesitated, now unsure whether or not Serena was let in on whatever she wanted to know.

"There's something going on, Fred and George knew about it."

"Well they have large heads. They probably think they deserve it because they were leaning over me when I woke up, thinking I'd be grateful for their concern."

"You did face-plant." Hermione acknowledged. "If they hadn't turned you over, you might not have had enough air. Still..." Hermione wasn't convinced. "I think they were talking about something else."

"I haven't the foggiest idea." Serena dressed into her nightwear and climbed into bed. "Though I am beat. That must have taken all the energy I had too." She stretched and pretended to fall asleep. She didn't close the curtain between them, she didn't want Hermione to think she was mad, though she did turn her back towards the brunette, not wanting to control her face as well as her breathing.

Hermione followed suit, sitting on the edge of her bed. "What was that? What happened to you and Harry? It was kind of scary to think the both of you collapsed at the same time." Hermione felt it, but not to the extent or way Harry described it, though Harry wasn't very informative on what he knew about it either. He hadn't seemed too disoriented though.

"Something. I'm not sure what. I'm sure we'll all find out eventually though. Perhaps you could find out information in the morning." Serena pulled the blanket up around her and didn't have to pretend to fall asleep.

It was the next morning that Dumbledore told the school, or at least those who had remained, and it was a very small amount too, that they had guests for the time being. "Dementors are stationed at Hogwarts. Do not fear, they are not allowed to be on school grounds, they will be kept on the borders of the school. Hogsmeade is safe as well for those of you allowed out onto the grounds. But do be weary, they are after their prey, but if you get in their way, they will not spare you. They are foul and dark creatures and do not distinguish between the innocent and guilty." Dumbledore's eyes seemed to land on the Gryffindor table and hold for a long time, sweeping over all the faces that remained. The ones likely to go and encounter a Dementor.

Oliver managed to get both Harry and Serena on his team, loading the other team with two confirmed beaters, a potential keeper and Hermione. Serena stood there for a moment and shook her head. "We don't need Harry, Oliver, and I'll replace you with Hermione."

"Girls verses boys?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.

Serena grinned like a Cheshire. "We will see if that's the case."

Oliver rearranged the teams to please Serena and as an aside to the boys, he whispered. "She scares me sometimes."

"Join the club." Ron mumbled.

Hermione stood at Serena's side, with the broom in hand, hovering above ground, waiting to be seated, and spoke to Serena, without getting the boys' attention. "Do you have a plan, or just want to be annihilated, so Wood will stop pestering you to play?

Serena winked at Hermione. "Not to worry, I have a plan, you will be chaser. No Bludgers Wood!" Wood was unlocking some of the balls from the chest. "Just the Quaffle."

"What fun is that?" One of the boys complained, and Harry wasn't sure which, as they all mounted their brooms and rose to the sky. There was one person in the stands, it wasn't even practice, just the few of them messing about, but Harry recognized the spectator. It was none other than their new Professor. He hadn't even been introduced to the school yet. Hermione, Ron, Oliver and the twins were unlikely to know who he was.

"Hello Professor Lupin!" Oliver greeted as he swept by, and the twins didn't seem bothered.

Ron fly next to Harry, who never got over the feeling of being in the air. "That's Professor Lupin. We all met him in Hogsmeade when the two of you were under house arrest."

"Ah. New DADA Professor then?" Harry asked as they made another round, waiting for Hermione and Serena to finish their idle chit-chat, or so it seemed. Ron nodded, his blue eyes clearly ill at ease. "Well, I hope he can stick around longer than the last few."

"He does seem like the nicest DADA Professor we've had, though it was only a short conversation we had. He was on his way up the hill away from school and didn't have much time to talk. All I'm really pleased by is that Snape didn't get it."

Harry couldn't agree more. Even though they'd had negligible teachers at best, it was still far more interesting than if Snape got his hands on it. "They're finally off the ground." Wood commented, coming near and then going again. Harry moved into position, Ron flanking him and George snorted.

"Really Serena, two of you, five of us and only the Quaffle, this is too easy. You sure you don't want Ron, just to pad your numbers a little? I think we can spare Harry or Oliver, to make things more even, and you can have Ron."

Serena smirked. "Ron's too good." Serena darted to the side and grabbed the ball in the air before anyone saw it. She scored before anyone could react. Hermione protected the goals fairly well, and Serena scored all the points. In the end, Serena's promise came true, she wiped the floor with them. "Now, I think it's time for you to properly commend us and reward us for our _little_ female victory." Her eyes were sparkling though and everyone knew she wasn't serious, but she still squeaked when after stowing the balls and their brooms in the locker, they hoisted both her and Hermione off the ground and carried them into the cafeteria, where dinner was appearing as they sat.

"How was that Hermione? Decent enough of a praise for your victory?" They ignored Serena, as she was the one that had faked-demanded it.

"It was pleasing well enough." Hermione held out her plate. "But I expect full service."

George started heaping food onto her plate while Fred copied with Serena's. The rest of the boys filled their glasses and bowls. "Now, we eat!"

Laughter echoed around the table as a good practice and good company lifted their spirits.

–

That week, Ron and Hermione did not go out very often into Hogsmeade, partly in fear of the Dementors but mostly because they did not want to leave behind their friends all the time. So Harry and Serena were also stuck in the castle. It was on the rare occasion before school started up again that Harry and Serena shared their map with Ron and Hermione, hoping that they'd feel more inclined to leave now, knowing that their friends could join them out there as well. Harry had always intended to tell the two about it, he just wanted to hold it off and surprise them, in a way that would also help them. Seeing as how they'd only used it twice since Fred and George gave them the map, he didn't think it too bad of a secret.

Serena laughed at him when he presented the reasons that they should share the discovery, she had been content to do whatever he wanted with it. She knew how to get there and back, just didn't know if the coast was clear, but she still didn't care, she could leave whenever she wanted. The reason why she laughed at him, as she soon informed him, was that it was a horrible secret, made even worse by the repeat if it was anything else, like if he stole money twice, or killed someone twice or cheated on his girlfriend or with his best mate's girl, twice, but that he told the other one whatever it was, that it was only twice so far, but he had to tell. "But... I suppose it is ok too, as it's not that bad of a secret, it didn't hurt anyone or cause any undue stress." Though telling it to Hermione might have caused more.

Hermione reacted as typical when she learned the truth of their whereabouts when she and Ron left the castle. She insisted on returning the script to the proper authorities but Harry snatched it away from her, returning the writing to the nether region and Serena vaguely wondered if it were at all related to her pocket, before Harry was defending it and going down Hermione's throat. "You want us to return this?" Harry waved it about. "What, while you guys go out and about, we have to just sit here, waiting patiently? I don't think so. This is brilliant."

"I wonder why my brothers never informed me of it, the scoundrels, having it for so long."

Hermione was clearly out-numbered and she sought Serena's help briefly, but she only got a knowing grin in return and Hermione sighed. "Fine, keep it then, what do I care?" She muttered something under her breath and everyone strained to hear her. "Maybe it'll do us some good, sometime."

Harry and Ron laughed, linking arms with her. "Come on then, lets all go to Hogsmeade, and we can go more often now!"

Hermione made a face. "Really Harry, pushing it so much, what if someone was looking for you in the castle, and was unable to find you anywhere. What if it were a _teacher_?"

Ron rolled his eyes and pulled her on. "We'll see the two of you soon!"

Serena waved goodbye as Harry returned to her side. "Shall we beat them there, then?" He got the affirmative he wanted.

–

The last week of Holiday went by quickly, especially as the four of them had so much fun off of campus as well as on. Nobody suspected anything and school was bound to resume in the next few days.

It was on the day of arrival that Harry met up with Ginny in the hallway. She came running down the path, away from the rest of the students and slowed to a halt when she saw Harry. She threw her arms around him in a hug before grasping onto his arms. "There were these strange creatures on the train, Harry! Very strange indeed, they were terrifying!"

They would all be meeting up for the first of the new term's announcements, Harry already heard of both the newest developments and would try to calm Ginny in the meantime. "They were Dementors, not allowed near the students. Don't worry." He tapped her on her freckled nose. "Come on then, the girls will be excited to see you. Your brothers... you know them." Harry shrugged, if they were around, they knew exactly where to find them.

"Chasing after any girls this break?" Ginny asked as they walked, her stuff was still upstairs in her room, and the few items she took home with her, would be arriving magically at any moment.

"Having dated all of those that had stayed, they only chased one in particular."

"Hermione?" Ginny gasped in fake-surprise, everyone knew the Weasley twins would not go after her, she was off-limits, especially by them, even if the one they deflected for didn't know it.

Ginny was too aware and couldn't pull her thoughts from the arm that kept brushing hers as they walked. Her fingers automatically found the way to interlock around Harry's and for a moment both were surprised and she tried to pull away, but he firmed his grip around her hand and continued walking, but other than that brief moment, he made no reference and ignored their linked hands.

"Have they been harassing her too much? Serena's made it clear she's not looking."

"That's probably why they try so hard, because she's not looking, they want to make her see." Harry laughed. "But once they figure out who she's meant to be with, they'll back off so fast you wont even see them."

"Who is she meant to be with?" Ginny asked, looking rather focused and curious. After the Basilisk, something in their relationship had changed, and Ginny hoped it was for the better, he was letting her hold his hand, after all. But she could be completely wrong, and that was he felt towards her was brotherly, though she didn't need yet another brother in her life.

Harry shrugged. "She wouldn't say, I think even if she knew." Harry half smiled. "Not that she would even accept him easily. Anyway, your brothers have their heart in the right place, they know that in the end, all they could hope to do is look upon her as they would a sister, and she appreciates that. Having older brother figures."

Ginny shook her head. "How the two of you ended up being neighbors, I will never understand. One of the great mysteries in our lives. It would have been one thing to be with her real father, if he ever dared step foot in that world without being tainted, much less live among them, but for the muggle-parents to move there, just really... crazy."

Harry nodded, he would never understand that either.

They soon arrived at the fat lady painting and Harry slipped his hand away as they walked through the hole into the room. Ron's mother had been furious at the three boys at the start of term, but as of now, had chilled on that front. Ginny was brought into a round of hugs and different conversations and when they all sat, to idle away some time before dinner, Harry found himself sitting on the armrest next to Ginny, and her hair interwoven in his fingers. He tried to stealthily remove them from his person without being seen and for as far as he could tell, he managed it. That was until he noticed a smirk on Serena's face, even though she wasn't looking at him and was even engaging in a conversation three tables away with Seamus, who had also just returned.

He ignored the blond and went back to talking with one of the other new returnees. "So you're not allowed out? Is that Black fellow really going to murder you?"

Harry's eyes widened. "No. I don't think he's planning on all of that. We don't know what he wants."

"They say he said that it was 'at Hogwarts' and they think the pronoun he used was 'he'." Seamus had joined them. "Though... it could have just as easily have been '_s_he'."

"No way would he come here, Dumbledore would fry him before he got within a thousand feet." Ron piped in.

"They say that's why Dumbledore allowed the ministry to put the Dementors on patrol around this school. It's the place they feel is most likely to be attacked, and its occupants..." Not that Black would be able to breach any of the wards Dumbledore had up.

"Come off it Seamus. I've already told you, Black would be an idiot to try and harm one of the two of us." Serena cut in. "He can't be a greater wizard than Harry." Serena was only half teasing, she thought Harry was a great wizard, but it got the round of laughter she was striving for and the change of topic.

"Think the DADA class will have a good professor this term? I swear they're just setting us up to fail with the lousy professors we've had so far."

"I really didn't think Lockheart was all that bad-" Hermione tried to protest, but she got overridden by several students, some were even female.

–

Dinner that night was a treat. The great hall was black except for the snow falling gently around them, but never reaching any of the tables. Dumbledore explained once more the Dementors and then introduced his very special guest, Professor R. J. Lupin who would be the newest DADA Professor and how far he had come from once being a student here in these halls himself.

The food was spectacular as always, and they could never get enough of it, and the bowls kept refilling as needed. One even over-filled, spilling everywhere, but it only added to the cheer of everyone being back together again and laughter could be heard long after the food was finished and students headed off into different directions, not yet ready for bed or common room bound. The gang, growing and shrinking all the time, at least in expendable numbers, not the core, headed outside to enjoy the warm winter night.

Snowflakes fell and gathered on everyone's hair and they started out by walking around the grounds, but it later became an all out snowball fight between the friends, having to choose sides and allies.

It wasn't with any marked surprise that Harry and Ginny were on one team and the Twins on another. Ron joined Hermione and there was a brief moment when both Ron and Hermione reached for the same section of snow and their hands intertwined. They pulled away from each other, as if burned and looked away to gather more snow and throw at one of the other teams.

Harry and Ginny had a similar moment, but they didn't make any scene of it though, prefering to keep it only between the two of them. A snowball came flying towards Ginny's face, unintentionally and Harry stepped between the ball and her, being hit hard enough to send him into Ginny, and they toppled backwards, Harry landing over her. He took a deep breath, trying to get back his baring and he looked down at her, her red hair splayed in the snow, a beautiful contrast and he grinned down at her before slowly getting back up, two more hits and he would be out.

He and Ginny ducked behind a tree, to gather snow and to converse about their next move. Serena had been on Seamus and Neville's team but somehow in the midst of the fight, she disappeared for awhile, and reappeared towards the end, somehow the victor, with the least amount of hits and still standing. She'd pelted Ron and Harry and the twins each, hitting Ron in the butt, the twins in the stomach and Harry on the back of his head. She'd only been hit once, and it was a flyaway from Hermione.

Serena watched as all of the boys, Ginny and Hermione turned on her and gathered up a snowball and they all launched them at her. She got hit from several directions, unable to avoid it and landed on the ground, winded. Everyone looked down at her, concerned they'd hit her too hard, and she stared up at them before breaking out into laughter and rolling on the ground. The rest joined in, falling down near her and when the laughter subsided, they all looked up into the sky, and watched the white puffs fall around them and stick to their hair and faces.

Ginny sneezed as one landed on her nose, and they all knew it was time to head in. Serena wasn't quite ready to go in, as the rest got up and slowly trudged towards the warmth of the castle, magically made that way, and expecting all to follow. The twins lagged behind the rest and knew that they were missing one, and so turned back to Serena. Fred grabbed her shoulders while George grabbed her feet and picked her up and carried her inside. Serena started laughing again. "Guys! What are you doing!"

"We're taking care of you."

"Since you clearly can't do it yourself."

"Without us-"

"You'd become a Popsicle."

Serena laughed. "Put me down, I'm capable of walking!" She struggled to get down and eventually George dropped her feet and once she was steady on them, Fred let her go. "Thanks guys, but go on ahead, I have something I want to do."

She watched them head off, casting her a glance back every once in awhile until they were out of sight, wondering if she were all right. They'd see her again before she headed up to bed. Serena turned towards an empty corridor between the castle and the outside, and sat on the snow covered railing, looking out onto the peaceful grounds. In the distance she could see impossibly black shapes moving against the black backdrop but she ignored them to just enjoy the beauty that was the winter here. Here, at this moment, she felt a peace settle upon her that she was not used to, and she rest her head against the pillar near her shoulder and just watched.

When she finally decided to move, she almost wished Fred and George could carry her up, as her legs felt numb not only because of the cold, but also for sitting for so long. She finally made it inside when a dark presence came upon her. She glanced up at the pale man shrouded in black, black hair, black eyes, black robes, but one thing could be said about him, there was not a black soul. "Are you in need of the infirmary, Miss Riddle?"

Serena shook her head. "No, I was just out too long in the cold. I'm just getting my muscles to work again."

"Do you require any assistance?" He held out his arm, clothed in a black sleeve and Serena grasped on, taking any assistance she could at the moment.

"I know." Serena finally stated as they walked.

"Know what?"

"About what you've hidden."

"And what would that be?" He was walking fast, faster than Serena normally walked, but she kept pace with him all the same, even with numb legs. They were already in the Gryffindor wing and Serena had to talk fast or loose her advantage for the day.

"The truth."

"Miss Riddle, we keep playing these games, but you never tell me anything. So either start speaking clearly or desist."

They were at the portrait and Snape was waiting patiently for her to let go of his arm. Serena's eyes locked onto Snape's and held. "Tomorrow then, will be the first day of the new term."

"So it shall." Snape bowed his head and left her there, she had removed her hand smoothly and waited for him to be gone before she turned back to the portrait of the fat lady who was not waiting patiently.

"Now may I have the password? You have interrupted my party." She was talking in her shrill voice again.

"Sorry." Serena mumbled and told her the password for the moment.

The portrait swung wide and Serena heard the fat lady mumble something but Serena was already through the hole and into the blissfully warm common room. Fred and George had waited up for her, the others had headed off to bed. However they had tried to stay awake, Fred was sleeping and George nearly so, but he caught sight of her and elbowed his brother, hopping to his feet and his brother woke with a start. "I'm up! I'm up!"

Serena's face twisted into a grin at the antics of the brothers. They really were her favorite. She loved the group in which she was the quadette but these two could always elicit a smile from her. "What are the two of you still doing down here? You should be off to bed, sleeping!"

Fred grinned. "Only Hermione can pull off that tone and those words and make us go to heel."

"Only Hermione can be like our mother." George continued. "From you-"

"It's like a child-"

"Putting on her father's shoes." They ruffled her hair as they headed past her and up to bed. "Get some sleep-"

"Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

For it was and she was glad she took their advice.


	16. Chapter 16

Year 2

Chapter 2

Part 11/16

* * *

AN: There's a scene that I want to write with Snape and Serena, but I am unsure how you will all take it... It kind of goes against a lot of what was said already, but not really because you've only gotten glimpses into their interaction and it was generally in public...

AN2: This part is going to be mostly a getting to know Serena, Snape, and Malfoy better. Harry, Ron and Hermione will still be in it, but it's going to answer some of the questions about Serena and what she does and how she does it. It's also going to give you a better look into the interactions between Snape and Serena and Serena and Malfoy and maybe a little bit of the three together. I don't know about that one yet. I've alluded to it somewhat but there's a lot more than just what I've shown thus far, there's a development that I haven't been able to show you earlier, because it did not fit earlier without breaking the flow of the story. It fits the best here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It'll also answer some questions about why Serena doesn't think McGonagall likes her. Also a transfiguration teacher... ring a bell, father like daughter? Hmm... but no, sadly, it's just an interesting twist I had just realized there.

* * *

Malfoy was upset about something. Serena watched from the corner of her eye as Malfoy smashed down onto the dead mouse his hammer, they were supposed to pulverize the meat, but she didn't think it was supposed to be done in such an aggressive way.

She didn't head over to him now. It was much too early and he was too angry and she didn't yet know what it was about. Though she suspected it had something to do with his father. Harry never noticed, too self-involved with his friends and the mysteries surrounding him, and she didn't blame him, it wasn't like Malfoy was _his _cousin after-all, but she noticed. It was usually after returning from break, or receiving a letter from home, that got Malfoy in a tizzy.

Quidditch was coming up, it was another game between Slytherin and Gryffindor and Serena wondered if it was about that. After class she'd say her good mornings and get to the bottom of this issue. However class finished and by the time Serena gathered her things, Malfoy was gone.

Ron rapped his knuckles against Serena's head and gestured towards where the other two were going and Serena followed along, lagging slightly behind as she looked for her too blond haired cousin.

Hermione had a slight bruise welling on her face during their next class and Serena shot her a look. It hadn't been there after potions. However Hermione was looking annoyed as well. They were in divinity and it was Hermione's least favorite class. However Serena had great respect for the art, her mothers excelled in this kind of thing, even if it wasn't quite the same medium. She had yet to know if this teacher had any real skill in it.

Hermione was a witch from a muggle world, and yet she didn't believe in foresight. Serena supposed it might be too much to make a rational person stretch that far, it was probably already hard enough getting her to originally believe in magic, and have her figure it all out and store it away properly to then have future telling added onto that pile, something even most witches and wizards didn't believe in.

Hermione would get along well with one of her guard, if she ever found them. They were very much alike, though this kind of magic would be hard pressed to sell to the blue haired genius and her kind of magic would be difficult to prove to Hermione as anything other than a trick without showing their wands. It was better if Serena kept that under-wraps. She'd already let too much slip out.

The brunette finally noticed Serena's stare and shrugged it off. Serena knew the secret to the newest piece of jewelry in Hermione's ensemble. Hermione knew she knew and the two shared a moment's look before going back to the task at hand. Ron let out a bark of surprise, he hadn't seen Hermione come in and she was suddenly at his elbow, pointing to something they were supposed to be looking at and which he was neglecting.

It would be easy to say that Ron should be used to her popping up randomly, but really, having someone appear out of nowhere, even when expecting it, did startle people. Serena was a master startler.

Draco wasn't in this class, so Serena didn't bother looking around, and in doing so, she missed Harry's curious glance in her direction. A slight frown played at his lips as he wondered what had her so interested in Malfoy at the moment. The scrawny pale faced, pale haired boy was nothing but a pain in his side. He didn't care if they were related or not. He was related to Dudley, and if he could make Dudley a permanent pig, he would.

After class, Serena disappeared down a hallway, leaving her classmates watching her go before Ron and Harry realized they were another female short as well. They could just see Hermione's curly hair trailing behind her as she disappeared around a different corner. "Females!" Ron stated exasperated. Last year it hadn't been like that, they had all gone together to their classes. Except when Hermione was furious at Ron.

Serena caught up with her cousin and latched onto his arm. "Draco!" She smiled. "How was your break? Do anything fun?"

He scowled for a moment at the mention of his break. "You didn't come with, so of course it was a dud. Where were you last night? I expected you to at least say hi."

"I'm sorry. I attempted to get away and talk to you, but you'd already left for your common room." Serena tilted her head. "What happened? What has gotten you so upset?"

"My father. He expects me to beat _Potter_ this go around in Quidditch. I kept telling him that I would have been a better fit as a beater or a chaser, maybe even a keeper, but he insists I beat Potter at his own game." His eyes lit up. "Maybe you could talk to him?"

"Draco..." Serena started. "I'd do it, but I don't think my opinion on this matter is of much use." She tried to tell him as gently as possible. "He doesn't much care for me."

"What are you talking about? He worships the ground you walk on!" Draco took her hand in his. "He wishes he had a daughter, not a son."

Serena shook her head. "You've got it wrong, Draco. He wanted a son. Every father dreams of a son to pass on his legacy. Mine did."

Draco scowled. "We were born to the wrong families. Mine wanted a daughter, believe you me, one he could parade around, boasting how beautiful a child between him and my mother could be. Yours may have wanted a boy, but he got a strong daughter, one he should be proud of. I just wish he'd wanted a daughter, and mine wanted a son."

Serena would never have said it, never out loud at least, but she wished Draco had been Voldemort's son, and she would be free of the curse put upon her due to her linage. At least part of it. "Come on, we have care of Magical Creatures next."

"Then later, after classes, you can come to the Slytherin common room and we can hang out. I've missed you terribly."

It wasn't uncommon for her to join him there, everyone from the start had been accepting of her, even if she was Gryffindor. At first she hadn't understood why, and now that she did, she still joined them, she'd prefer to be one down there, then to bring any of them into Gryffindor tower, just in case it riled either side. She was one of the only students able to breach such a distance between two houses of such different backgrounds and stances. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw often intermixed, but Gryffindor and Slytherin usually stuck to their own houses, with a few exceptions into the aforementioned two houses.

She saw someone else in Malfoy, though she'd never admit it, and no one else would see it. But she saw someone from her history, a history that wasn't even hers. It was faint, and tainted, just like the rest of the people she sometimes had to look at twice to make sure she wasn't seeing someone from the past, and she knew they weren't reincarnated into these new bodies and personalities. She wasn't, neither were her parents. She knew that whatever form the past had taken now, it would be very close to the form they'd been in before. But she wouldn't have minded it, if Hermione had been her bluenette friend, or Malfoy the guard of the man she was destined to end the rest of her days with. Though he would laugh at her, if she ever shared this one fleeting thought with him, Malfoy would never be fit to be the Prince of Earth's guard. She knew that, but something in him reminded her of that man, the man that she saw even less clearly than the one she was supposed to be married to.

Maybe it was the long pale blond hair, or the blue eyes or the heart underneath the deception. The heart that only Serena seemed to know to exist under the moody, abused, neglected and spoiled child that was the forefront of his personality, the one that everyone else saw. But there were moments, like when he shared what really afflicted him, what he really worried about, what he really thought, and was afraid to admit, that _she_ saw what was really under all of that.

She wasn't disillusioned though, he was a spoiled brat as well and would pick himself over anyone else if the choice was pressed on him. But if he were to pick himself, he would have to look at what part of him he wanted to protect the most.

They arrived together at Hagrid's hut. This wasn't Malfoy's favorite place to be, but it was Serena's. Here she got introduced to the most wild creatures, things she'd never known to exist, in any lifetime. Creatures she was sure not even his Highness knew about.

Harry cast a disbelieving glance in their direction and he and Ron shared some words, both scowling at the idea that Serena was with her cousin. Serena lifted a brow, challenging them, waiting for them to dare say it to her face, but wisely, neither did.

Hermione joined the two well into the first sentence as Hagrid discussed what they were going to work with next. It was a month long program on something just as boring as slugs. "What's the problem?" Hermione questioned, glancing between the two disgruntled boys.

Ron nodded towards Serena's current location and Hermione sighed. "I don't like him either, but you've accepted that she's the dark lord's daughter, how can you spite this?"

"Because the dark lord has never personally attacked me or made my every day torture." Ron grumbled.

"Then what's your problem, Harry? Your reasons don't hold up like his do, however shallowly."

Harry folded his arms across his chest. "It's not the same thing. Voldemort is an evil that everyone has accepted and is fighting against, whereas he is one that can still make remarkable damage before being seen as a threat. She doesn't know that he's bad, not like she knows her father is."

"Serena's not an idiot." Hermione defended her friend. "She has her reasons for remaining friends with her cousin. Perhaps that's even the reason why. Who knows, just ignore them when she's there, at least it keeps Malfoy at bay and from saying anything stupid."

"There is at that." Ron reluctantly agreed and seemed to get better once he realized that as well.

Malfoy was nudging Serena with his elbow and pointing at the creatures. They weren't as slimy as slugs, but they were kind of cute in a very weird way. Their eyes were too large and their ears too small, and there was no nose to speak of. It crawled like a slug, moving up then stretching out. They were all white. "Why do we have to learn about these?" Draco complained.

"Everything from the smallest creature to the largest has its place in the world and effects it. A small thing like this could disrupt the balance if not properly acknowledged and cared for." Serena chided and slid her finger along the back, the only spot they were supposed to be touched by a human. Draco poked one in its side and it tipped over, spasming. Serena reached over and ran her finger along its spine as well and it slowly moved back to the way it was before Draco did anything. Serena didn't say a word about what Draco had just done, and Draco kept his fingers to himself, knowing full well that she was unhappy by what he'd done but didn't leave or make a big deal of it.

"Did you enjoy Hogsmeade over the break?" Draco changed subjects, not wanting to upset her any longer.

Serena tilted her head at him and then shook her head. "I wasn't allowed out."

"How could they keep you in?" Draco sounded outraged. "You had permission from your parents, right?" He was about to say that he could have his father and mother sign for her, as they were her proper guardians but Serena smiled.

"I was not alone, Harry wasn't allowed out either."

Draco scowled. "You had to spend even more time with Potter." Serena raised a brow and Draco instantly looked away. "I will have dad fix this for you."

Serena didn't say anything on the issue, thinking that after the last term, his father didn't have as much pull as Draco thought. She changed the subject instead to how his mother was doing and what he enjoyed about the break.

They chatted a bit, but Hagrid soon interrupted their conversation and explained more about the creatures they were studying.

After class, Serena and Draco walked towards the next class, it was DADA and they were discussing some of the latest wizarding celebrity gossip. "I really think that Nina Koreli should not be allowed to open her mouth." Draco was saying. "Every time she does, someone ends up exploding something."

Serena laughed. "Usually its their eardrums." Draco joined her in the laughter, she really could not sing, even animals ran away in fear when she opened her mouth. How did she ever get to be a world famous singer?

During the first DADA class, they got separated, and after this class, they would no longer be in the same class, but split up for the rest of the day again. He looked at her for a long moment before accepting her removal from his side. "Come down to Slytherin's common room tonight, we have so much to catch up on."

Serena smiled. "We'll see, the day isn't over yet and I'm not sure how much homework I'll have."

"We'll work on it together!" Draco insisted.

Serena nodded. "All right, but after dinner, and only for a couple of hours."

Draco agreed and she wandered over to Harry, bumping his shoulder with her hip and Harry looked up at her surprised. "Come to your senses?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow and Serena shrugged. "Where is Lupin?"

He wasn't there yet. Serena glanced around and Hermione frowned. "You don't think he's decided against teaching us, have you? That our record with teachers in this field is a little bit on the absurd..."

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione. "He's just late. Knew he was a flake."

It was Serena's turn to roll her eyes. "You don't even know him."

"Like _you_ do." Ron scrunched up his nose. "You just met him once and the idea that he likes you must mean that he's bad at his job." Before anyone could respond to that, they heard a rumbling, and then a box popped open, and there stood Lupin. "Show off."

Serena whispered out of the side of her mouth. "I thought you liked him."

Ron grinned back at her. "I do!"

Serena couldn't help but crack up and the entire class turned and stared at her. Professor Lupin only looked at her amused before clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Today we're going to start out with something a little advanced. It's all right if you don't get it at first, it won't hurt you and we'll work up to it. But you all look very smart, and I don't think we'll have a problem."

He shoved the creaking door shut and for a minute it was calm before it tried breaking out again. Lupin shoved the door close again.

"That's nothing." he informed the class. "Don't pay any attention to the box." He put a chest in front of it and the door didn't move again. "Now, before we begin with that, let's discuss something else first..."

–

Lupin was an excellent story teller, he had everyone on the edge of their seats, including the Slytherins, Malfoy and his lackies were following every word that the Professor said, enchanted by his tales of what these creatures could do and the stories of the witches and wizards who faced them. Some of which lost and some of which won, but it was not always clear until the end who would be a champion and live to see another day.

Lupin finished his story of one of these adventures and everyone sagged back in their seats, devastation clearly written on all of the students faces. Lupin held his last pose, watching each and everyone of them. This wizard had not survived. He slowly lowered his hands and moved to a straight standing position. "Now, let's talk about what we'll be doing today. Everyone get into a straight line. Starting here, and facing this direction." Everyone hurried to get in line, and people fought to be first.

"Really, quite a brilliant professor." Hermione whispered near Serena in the back. Harry had disappeared somewhere in the middle and Ron was second in line. Serena did not know what they were going to be doing, and she didn't care where she stood, she knew they'd be working on this until everyone had a turn, even if it took a few class periods to do so. Serena nodded, she quite agreed.

"Now, what I am about to reveal to you, is called a boggart." Lupin held up a hand when he started getting murmurers in response to his announcement. "It will not harm you. But I must warn you, what you see will be very frightening. Does anyone know what it is?"

He wasn't even looking their way, but he called on Hermione anyways. "It's a shapeshifter. It's one defense is to be something scary so the enemy will leave it alone."

"Very good Miss Granger. It's sole survival instinct will be to reach inside you and find the thing that scares you the most. Each person is different, and it feeds off your fear. The only way to defeat a boggart is by taking the image it assumes and making it humorous. Lock the image in your head and it will change, you force it to. Laughter weakens it. By the way, to change it, call out Ridiculous." Lupin clapped his hands. "Right then, Neville, you're up."

Neville gulped and Lupin checked one more time that Neville had a clear image in his head of what he feared and how to make it funny, then he kicked away the chest, holding the door shut and flung it wide. There was smoke for a moment before Snape stood in the room with them and several students visibly reacted to his presence. "Ri-Ri-" Neville stuttered as Snape fixed his eyes on the boy.

"Have the image firmly fixed in your mind." Lupin repeated.

Neville raised his wand and squeezed his eyes shut tight and called out the word that Lupin had taught them. "Ridiculous!" There was a pop and Neville opened his eyes. Snape was wearing Neville's grandmother's clothing, with hat and purse and parasal. The entire room started laughing and Neville joined in, the Snape clone backed away, looking frightened.

"Very good Neville! Next!" Lupin ushered Ron forward and the shape changed into a giant spider. Harry recognized it from the dark forest.

Ron didn't wait, even though he looked paler than usual, his wand was out and towards the spider. "Ridiculous!" The spider lost its footing and wheels suddenly grew on its feet. Harry couldn't help but be amused, though thought it could have backfired, giving the spider more speed. The line moved quickly and Serena was glad that she was in the back. She didn't know what would pop out when she was up, if she had known this was going to happen, then she might have asked Snape to have a word with Lupin about her sitting this out.

But the way he had laughed at the Boggart when it was Snape, lent her the feeling that perhaps if Snape had said something, then Lupin would have done the opposite just to spite him. Serena wasn't sure what was between those two or what it meant now in a professional working environment.

Harry was up and Serena moved slightly to watch the creature change. Malfoy had yet to go but she had a feeling she knew what his would be. Harry's though surprised her when the creature changed into a Dementor. It surprised Lupin too, for he threw himself between Harry and the creature and the creature turned for only a moment into a full moon, which Serena thought was rather beautiful before it turned into a popped balloon and went whizzing into the cabinet again. Lupin slammed the door shut and moved the chest into the path to keep it closed.

The entire class was looking at Lupin and Harry with something akin to disbelief, no one understanding, but when Serena cast a glance to see how Hermione was taking the scene, she saw the brunette's face turn into a calculating look, like there was a new mystery that needed to be solved. Serena looked around but Lupin was already moving. "Come now, class is almost up, I'll let you out a few minutes early if you promise to be good and not terrorize any of the other teachers."

The class filed out and Serena heard Draco talking to some of the other students, but she let him go, and waited around for her fellow Gryffindor friends. She'd never admit it out loud, but if she had to chose between Draco and that part of her family ties or these three, she'd chose these three. Hermione was waiting with her and Ron eventually joined them, but Harry still stood where he had last seen the Dementor. Serena would have preferred it if that's what had popped out at her, she didn't like them, in fact they terrified her beyond all else because they weren't an enemy she could fight and be done with, but she would have preferred it because it would have been something from this world, this wizarding world and she could have had someone who could have helped her deal with it.

They didn't get through many people and she knew that she would have to go tomorrow but for now, she was worried about her friend. He was just staring at the box that held the boggart. "Harry." It was Lupin who spoke, quietly and reassuringly. "It's all right, a Dementor is difficult to change into something else."

Harry shook his head. "It isn't that-"

"Go on Harry- we'll discuss this later, your friends are waiting." Lupin urged Harry away from the room, he was clearly shaken as well. His eyes went to the friends waiting, Ron was somewhere between going to Harry and pulling him along and waiting patiently with the girls. Then Lupin's eyes swept over the girls. "Go along, take him with you and I will see the two of you here tomorrow to face the boggart." His eyes landed on Serena with that last word and she wondered if maybe someone had spoken up for her after all or if he thought the same thing would happen to her as well.

The three of them left and headed down for lunch. They could hear the clamoring of the Slytherin table as soon as they entered. Then Draco and his cronnies were at the foot of their table, close to Harry and the rest. "Is it true that _Harry Potter_ fainted?" Crabbe and Goyle laughed. "The great Harry Potter _fainted_." Draco sneered. "What happened? Something scare you?"

"Where did he hear that from?" Harry grumbled.

"I'm only surprised its come out now." Ron countered, they kept their voices low as Draco had fun, the Gryffindors all knew about it or didn't care. The other groups might of, and Harry caught Cho Chang looking his way with a frown on her brow.

"A Dementor scared Harry Potter into fainting!"

"Draco!" Serena snapped and Draco looked towards her confused for a moment, he knew that he shouldn't rile Harry with her near, but it was an opportunity that he didn't want to miss. "I fainted as well. Are you now going to mock me and say how weak I am for fainting at the sight of a dementor?" A blond brow was raised high and waited for him to respond.

Draco's steam was suddenly let out and he shook his head. "No. Sorry Serena, I had not heard that you did the same thing. I would not dare dream of insinuating that you are weak."

Serena tilted her head in a slight nod and Draco and the other two scurried off. "Thanks Serena." Harry stated but it wasn't a full thanks. Harry preferred to fight his own battles but this case, it was ok, it got Malfoy to shut up and leave faster.

Harry glanced over to where Cho Chang was and saw Cedric joining her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and growled beneath his breath. They were already a couple, and he had just noticed her for the first time last semester. Then someone bumped his elbow and he glanced sideways and saw red, it was only Percy as he reached for a scone, but he was reminded of Percy's sister, and a slight smile spread across Harry's face and his stomach felt a little strange just thinking of her and then he squashed it down. Ginny, Ginerva, was Fred and George and Percy's sister. Was Ron's sister, and if he ever entertained thoughts like that, he'd have at least four boys taller than him ready to pummel him. He saw how protective Fred and George were of Serena, and that wasn't even a blood relation. Though they seemed to protect Ginny less, but at the same time, they were very upset about what happened to her last term and it was still too fresh in everyone's mind, even if it was Harry that saved her, they probably wouldn't be too keen on Harry making any moves on their sister at any time and especially not so soon.

He completely forgot about Cho and couldn't get Ginny out of his mind the rest of the entire day, and when he saw her that night at dinner and then later in the common room, he had to force himself to have a conversation with someone else. He had gotten to know Ginny too well over the past few months and knew he liked who she was.

Serena wasn't around in the common room after dinner, he had seen her disappear down the hallway and then around a corner. He had thought she was heading up here, but it didn't turn out that way. Ginny was sitting by the fireplace playing a card game with one of the other girls in her year and she twisted her head so her hair would go behind her shoulder and get out of her way and as it wavered in the air before settling again, it reminded Harry of the fire that was behind her and his breath caught. She had no problem not paying any attention to him, but he suddenly realized what he had always thought, what he saw even last year as she waited for her brothers to leave and smiled politely at Harry as her mother explained to him how to go through to the platform.

Harry forced his eyes away and told himself very firmly: no. He was in luck because Seamus hit him over the head with a flying paper bird and Harry was suddenly engaged in another form of entertainment. He missed Ginny's green eyes glancing at him on occasion and a small smile as she watched him have fun.

–

Serena reluctantly turned towards Slytherin chambers and changed her mind halfway towards the cellar. She headed towards that direction but made a b-line towards Snape's office instead. He was bent over a cauldron and working on a potion, whether it was one that he needed, one he was still perfecting or if he was inventing a new one, Serena didn't know or frankly care. She slid through the door and launched herself at his back. Her arms went around his neck and her knees dug into his back, forcing him to straighten up.

"Serena!" He bellowed, he still wasn't used to her doing that kind of thing.

She jumped off and smiled cheekily as he turned towards her. "Hi Professor Snape!"

Serena wandered over to the other side of the table and leaned against it, resting one elbow on the wood and the other reaching for the ladle to the potion. "What are you making?" She gave it a swirl and watched with an amused smile as Snape grew angry at her interference.

"You know if you do that to the wrong potion at the wrong time, you can blow yourself up?" Snape grabbed back the ladle. "What are you doing down here anyway?"

"Just saying hi to you is all." She sat down in a chair and put her feet up onto the table, leaning back. "You're too lonely down here and I haven't bothered you all break."

"I was enjoying that." Snape sneered, though when he wasn't looking at her, she could detect a bit of a smirk on his lips and she tilted her head, waiting for him to finish up. When he did he pulled out a stool and sat down and looked at her expectantly. "So Miss Riddle, what is it today?"

"I was just wondering... what do you know about this Sirius Black thing?" Serena traced her finger against the wood. "Is he really all that dangerous? Is he someone who would go to any lengths to break into Hogwarts?"

"Yes." Snape agreed. "I never thought anyone to be more dangerous than Sirius Black."

"Not even Voldemort?" Serena whispered, waiting for Snape's response.

Snape visibly reacted. "Oh you are good Serena, always trying to soak out of me information." He wagged his finger in her face, he did this every time he realized he was letting slip more than he intended to or realized she was fishing for information. Not every meeting was about warning her or getting information, and half the time he didn't realize she'd gotten exactly what she wanted out of him, the information that would help her or Harry. The other half he either knew what she was doing and clammed up or fed it to her, wanting to protect her and even protect Harry. She knew what he was doing even when it was Quirrell bewitching Harry's broom. That's when she first knew Snape had a different way of doing things, a different way of doing the right thing.

"I just want to know what I might be dealing with." Serena whispered, which was true, and she didn't bother him with this all break because she figured it was just rude to push so much, but they had gotten as close as a teacher and student could get especially when the teacher was Snape and he kept a distance between him and every student, even his favorites like Malfoy and Serena.

Snape sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Yes. He is more dangerous than even Voldemort." That statement caught Serena's attention and he looked her in the eye for a long time. "If Voldemort were to ever return, Black would be dead in an instant were he to cross swords with his master. However the danger that Black possesses is far worse. You know Voldemort is evil and should not be trusted, his closest advisers know that, the people who disillusion themselves as friends know that, but all know that at any moment Voldemort will change his mind and destroy any semblance of trust he has developed with them. So they're weary and afraid and watch out for it. They're smart because they fear him. What Black has done and has managed is far worse."

"What happened?" Serena whispered, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "What did Black do that was far worse and more terrifying?" She knew it wasn't the escaping from Azkaban. She knew that was what frightened the normal wizards, but for Snape to warn her like this, meant something far worse had happened and that Black was behind it all.

There was a knock on the door and Lupin let himself in. "Oh, Miss Riddle." He seemed genuinely surprised to see her down here with Snape. "Am I interrupting a detention?" It looked like he wanted to ask: _what could you do to merit a detention_? Especially so early in the term, but most people assumed that if she was in detention, she somehow got involved in it because of either Harry or Malfoy or Ron.

Snape cleared his throat. "Come in Lupin. Miss Riddle and I were finished. Goodbye Miss Riddle." He was instantly the cold, and serious and distant professor again, on occasion she'd catch a glimpse of warmth and she missed it when other people were around. It was almost like he was a father figure in some ways.

As Serena was leaving, she caught sight of Snape handing over a few of the bottles he had just filled to Lupin and with a thoughtful frown, Serena headed upstairs to the common room.

–

EAN: How are we liking the Serena/Snape, Serena/Malfoy, Serena/Moon scene? Anything I need to go back an expand on? I'm going to clarify and add more in future parts, just wanted to see what you guys were thinking now...

EAN2: I bow to JKR's brilliance. Just really... from the first book's foreshadowing that you don't even know is foreshadowing until the final book! Lol, and even then you forget that it was used in the first book!

EAN3: I am unmoved between Harry and Ginny or Harry and anyone else. I really don't care. However I promised to stick to canon, and canon it is. That is why I'm pushing the Harry/Ginny thing, I saw it very slimly in the books, and a little more so in the movies, and yet, I still didn't understand that relationship, so I'm upping it a bit. So I can make sense of it. However I do have one thing against it, as I watch the movies more, and read the books again and read other people's stories about HP world, and that's just that I think Ginny is like his mother, in looks at least, and partly in personality. Harry's surrounded himself with people who either look like his parents, his parents friends, or have personalities like them, even having those who were such good friends with his parents be his friends too, ie Moody... and how no one knew Moody was missing when he was part of the Order... Idk... One story I read, was by Amethyst and she had James and Lily be friends with the Weasleys, and their boys even played together until they were about 1 or so and to me that makes it seem like Harry had no choices, everything about his life was predestined, except maybe Hermione, who was more personality wise like his mother than Ginny.

Now I'm not saying that these are the characteristics I'm basing on in my story nor is it really a factor. I just didn't like it when I read some other works, I felt that either Rowling ran out of characters, which is hard for me to imagine, or people made Harry's parents too much like Harry and his friends.

I don't like the idea of destiny set in stone. The only thing even remotely like that in this fic is Serena, who it isn't destiny, but past decisions and legal ramifications for those decisions. Her being Harry's neighbor, Voldemort's daughter and a witch in Gryffindor is merely a fluke, not intended and so has consequences on what was supposed to be 'fate'. Things that happen change the future, every decision leads you somewhere else. The future has not happened and has not been decided.

EAN4: I'm in love with A Very Harry Potter Musical! (discovered 12/12/2010) LOL! Check it out if you haven't already! ARG! It's so hard to get back into this story's mindset after watching both of them! ARG! Oh well, for you my lovely fans I will do anything! Even if it did seem a little Anastasia at one point between Ron and Hermione... hmm... lol!

EAN5: I know the book well enough that I'm not going to try to watch the movie for this part. At least not a second time. I feel like the movie completely ruins the book, I can't help it. I still like the movie well enough, but they're missing key facts in it, that I'm still going to try and cover in this story and remain truthful to the way I've set the stage. It's also missing a lot of the heart (the movie) that the book covered so well. They pick this up again in later films, but I was devastated by the lack of it in the third.


	17. Chapter 17

Year 2

Chapter 2

Part 12/17

* * *

Ron was sitting behind Hermione as Harry and Seamus duked it out with flying paper animals and he reached forward and tickled her ear with his quill. She swatted at it and Ron stopped for a moment before doing it again.

She grabbed the quill and put it down on the desk next to her. Ron pulled out another one and ran the feather against her neck. She snapped her head around to glare at him and this is the way the scene was set as Serena let herself in. Ron was grinning idiotically towards Hermione as if he was pleased with himself for getting her attention. Harry was having fun, and Ginny was sighing with hearts in her eyes over the boy. The twins were nowhere to be seen, but she figured they were out having some fun somewhere and getting into some kind of trouble that was sure to lose Gryffindor points, but she couldn't seem to mind as she leaned against the wall in the shadows and watch all of her friends, even the ones that she knew weren't as close as the quadsquad enjoy a moment together.

She found the Ron and Hermione scene the most telling, as both, while tormenting or angry with one another, didn't move away from the other. They were clearly in love and it was cute. Hermione was a very pretty girl with unfortunately too large of front teeth, the only mare to the otherwise pretty picture, and Ron was cute in his own red-headed way. His personality sure made up for any lacking in looks, though he _was_ cute too. Ron asked Hermione a question and she motioned for him to sit near her and he brought his book and sat down right next to her and together, with their heads bowed, they poured over the same book. Hermione's hand reached up to point to a passage just as Ron's did and their hands brushed, and with no one else looking, they allowed their fingers to intertwine briefly as Hermione explained it and then they pulled their hands away and Ron went back to where he was behind her, taking both quills with him. Serena smiled and headed upstairs, she was ready for bed, at least for tonight.

* * *

The next day moved pretty quick, classes continued from where they left off, Serena stuck with Harry and the rest for most of it, but during Care of Magical Creatures, Serena felt the uneasy feeling bubble up in her again and everybody was paying too much attention to their surroundings for her to easily duck out without being seen.

So she willed the creatures and the ground to cause a distraction for her and then she took off while everyone was marveling at the strange happenings. She ran straight into the dark forest, intending on running the whole way there, it wasn't always easy to get to, they weren't always near by and she had to run fast. She pulled out a small device and looked at the screen before pushing a few buttons. "Where is it at?" The ones she could feel, were too far away for her family to handle, she was too far away to go to help them as well, which made it better for her in a way, as only half the attacks, roughly, she had to deal with and so she didn't have to disappear as often.

She was running blindly but suddenly a tree limb wrapped itself around her and then picked her up, moving her to a different spot and direction and then letting her go again. She silently thanked it for its help. Then she was on her way and Michelle picked up on the other side. "It should be in your area, just beyond the mountains."

Serena rolled her eyes and tried to concentrate very hard, if she messed this up, she could end up reappearing inside a mountain and then she'd be dead. "Ok Michi, thanks!" She closed her eyes and willed this to work. This is the first time that it was so far away and in that particular direction. She reappeared on the downward slope of a mountain road and breathed a sigh of relief. She took out her broach and transformed into Sailor Moon, her uniform for fighting evil creatures that weren't of this world. Well... not naturally at least. Short skirt, and a pair of ridiculous boots later, and she was ready to go fight.

She slid to a halt near the actual fight, humans, muggles, were running from the scene, had any wizards ever been present, she would have known, there would have been news. As it were, if the muggles made any reference to her, the ministry of magic got on it right away and cleared their minds of any magic happenings, thinking it was just a witch playing around, and never knowing who caused it. If a wizard or witch were around, perhaps she wouldn't have to come, but she'd hear of it too. A strange new creature that they had to kill before it killed them, and usually they were female-like who could speak at least two or three lines each.

This one looked like a cougar with a long face and whiskers, and claws for hands and feet, and a tail that was as vicious as it was furry. It was like a whip that could flex in any direction and with precision. The claws were sharp and projectile and Serena managed to dodge most, but one grazed her cheek and another her hand as she tried to protect herself.

It felt like forever, but it must not have lasted long, for she finished off the youma, using her tiara and then was heading back. She had just transported herself to the dark forest and powered down when she headed out to where everyone was. The same class was still in session and Hagrid was talking about the creatures and what else they did and the cycle they'd be observing today, which had changed from the day before.

Serena slid into the space between Hermione and Harry, and the three of them glanced at her, but didn't make a big deal, because they didn't want Hagrid taking away points. When class broke, and they headed back towards the castle, Harry reached a hand out and touched the side of Serena's face, his fingers came back with blood. "When did this happen?" He asked, wiping the blood off his hand with his cape and then using the cape to wipe at her cheek, it smeared it a little, but it also took away most of the dried and excess blood.

"I-" Serena paused. "I don't know. It's ok, Harry, really."

"It looks like someone cut you." Ron had started as soon as Harry pointed it out and he touched it gingerly too and Serena winced.

"Come on guys, stop poking and prodding at it. You're just making it worse." Hermione stopped by the fountain and dipped her handkerchief into the water and then dabbed at Serena's cheek, getting the flaked on pieces of blood off. Hermione took the cloth and put some snow into it. Then handed it to Serena to hold, it was cool against her skin, the water just slightly above freezing and the snow keeping it cold against her heated and bruised flesh. "When did this happen though? How?"

"Must have been when everything went chaotic." It wasn't a complete lie, just not the chaos they were thinking about.

Hermione's lips pressed together and Ron shook his head. "You have to be more careful. Where did you disappear to? It seems like you and Hermione are the same people these days, disappearing and then popping up randomly again."

Hermione laughed, saving Serena from responding. "Don't be silly Ron, I've been with you every step of the way."

"Somehow it just doesn't seem that way." Ron muttered.

Harry changed the subject and they headed off to the next class. "So this weekend is Hogsmeade, got any plans?"

"Go I guess." Ron admitted. "Though I'm starting to wonder what the big deal is. There's like five shops, and a couple of bars and restaurants and that's about it."

"We should go see this one thing that we haven't done yet." Hermione cut in, wrapping her arm around Ron's to get his attention. Ron looked down at her and tugged on her mass of curly brown hair.

"What's that?"

"I'll have to show you." Hermione said, batting her eyes up at him. Ron and Hermione shared a look before they both pulled away quickly as if they were suddenly on fire and couldn't be far enough apart. Harry couldn't keep the smirk of his face and Serena hid her own smile behind her hand and covered it with a cough.

They thought they were being so clever in hiding their feelings, but perhaps they really didn't know yet. But they were already inside the room Lupin used as a classroom.

DADA was an interesting experience that day. Lupin picked up right where he left off and many of the Hufflepuff students went before it was Hermione's turn. Lupin called a halt to the class, with only Hermione and Serena left to face it. Again, like the day before, all of the students filed out but the quadsquad. Hermione was frowning she had wanted to face her greatest fear and make it go away, but Lupin shook his head. "That's enough you four. It's time for your lunch."

Hermione was about to protest, but Serena linked her arm through Hermione's. "Come on. It's lunch time." They were half way down to lunch when Serena felt queasy. "I'll catch up with you guys." Then she was running off in a different direction. That was twice in one day, way too much and too often for her liking.

Harry took her place and linked arms with Ron as well. "I'm thinking lunch on the terrace. It's warming up slightly."

Hermione smiled tightly. "Why wouldn't he let me go?"

"Probably because he thinks anything that scares me, will scare you and Serena as well." Harry guessed, but he had a feeling that Lupin played his own game and they might never fully understand the meaning.

They gathered their lunch and moved off to the terrace. They weren't alone for long. Malfoy had a thorn in his paw about something and he decided to take it out on them. "Granger, Granger, who would ever love a mudblood like you? Not only is your blood tainted, but your hair is disastrous and your teeth too long. Perhaps I should help you out with that?"

"Malfoy, just leave her alone." Ron was pulling out his newly acquired wand, Gilderoy's, but it was too late, Malfoy already cast his spell.

The spell hit Hermione in the face and her front two teeth started growing. It was slow, but as they watched in shock, they kept growing, longer and longer. "Get her to the hospital Ron!" Harry pulled out his wand, ready to do battle with Malfoy.

Ron and Hermione reluctantly went off, Harry could handle the three of them and Serena would be along at any moment and would put an end to any brawl that might happen. It wasn't Serena who put an end to it though. Snape was wandering the halls when he caught sight of the stances between the two boys.

"Desist." Harry reluctantly lowered his wand. "I am disappointed in the two of you, unlawfully dueling on school grounds. It is grounds for punishment. Mr. Potter, ten points from Gryffindor."

"But I didn't do anything!" Harry protested.

"Would you like it to be twenty?" Harry didn't respond and Snape nodded. "I thought so. Malfoy, no points taken away, however you will assist me tonight with a complicated potion." Serena came running along the hallway, panting for breath and slid to a stop. "No running in the halls Miss Riddle, you will join Malfoy and me tonight."

There were no points taken away from either of them and Serena scowled slightly at the fact that she got punished, it wasn't something that usually happened, but Harry was relieved he didn't have to do anything, that it was only points that he could try to regain. "Ah, Serena! I was looking for you!" Malfoy walked straight past Harry, who thought about tripping the boy, but refrained. "I was wondering what happened to you last night, you were supposed to come and join us in Slytherin's common room."

Serena glanced back at Harry as she and Malfoy walked away, Harry made a disgusted face and Serena stuck her tongue out at him. Harry began to wonder where Serena went then if she hadn't gone to Slytherin, and how she managed to avoid getting caught.

Snape turned and left as well, leaving Harry only with Goyle and Crabbe. "Is there something you want?" Harry demanded, brandishing a fist. "Perhaps a black eye?"

They bore their own fists and left, and Harry knew if it was a normal fight, they'd win, but they didn't want to get Snape mad at them as well.

Harry joined up with Ron outside the viewing room in the hospital. "Hermione kicked me out. She didn't want me around for this."

"Can you believe Snape and Malfoy?" Harry grumbled, sinking down onto the bench next to Ron. "Just took ten points away from Gryffindor for no reason!"

"He used to try and take them away just because of how people looked, remember?" Ron pointed out. "McGonagall put a stop to that one."

"How did he ever get to be so mean?" Harry made a face. "He couldn't have been born this way, could he have?"

Ron shrugged, he had no idea. He glanced past Harry. "Hey, where's Serena?"

"She went off with Malfoy." Ron jumped to his feet, ready to go knock some sense into his blond friend, when Harry grabbed his arm. "She wasn't there for the altercation, and Malfoy kind of waylaid her before I could tell her. She doesn't know what he did, and she probably wont until she sees Hermione."

Pouting, Ron rejoined Harry, but it wasn't for long. Madame Pomfrey came out and shook her head. "She needs some rest. She'll be with you again tomorrow." Then she scooted them out of the hospital all together.

* * *

That night, found Ron and Harry playing wizarding chess, while the others did homework or found their own entertainment.

Serena was in the dungeon helping Snape and Malfoy stir a potion that really did require multiple hands, and she wondered if this was his way of ensuring his students helping him, rather than just asking. Malfoy nudged Serena in the side when she almost forgot to add in something. Serena shook her head to clear it. "Thanks." Snape was measuring out the next few ingredients, they had to be freshly mixed and taken out, so he couldn't have done it before hand.

"Good job Malfoy, Serena." Snape nodded as he glanced into the potion. "How were your days?"

Serena shrugged. "It wasn't terribly eventful."

Malfoy shrugged as well, but he wasn't looking at Serena. "I don't know, I got detention, didn't I? Why'd you let Potter off so easily this time, Professor?"

Snape looked like he was going to chide Malfoy for questioning him, but he hesitated and went back to his measuring. It was a long time before he spoke again. "I would rather take points away from him, then have him spend any amount of time with me."

Serena knew though that Snape enjoyed berating the boy, but he seemed to be enjoying that more and more, not less. She wondered if there was another reason all together for him not wanting Potter here. Malfoy was snickering. "Bet that just irked him, not even having done anything to merit points taken away, just in the wrong position at the wrong time."

"What _did_ happen?" Serena questioned, but Snape didn't answer, for he didn't know, just stopping the fight before it got anymore out of hand. Malfoy didn't answer either, knowing Serena would be furious that he started a fight.

Snape broke through the silence that was created. He saw a little of himself in Malfoy, wanting to impress the girl from Gryffindor, the one that everyone thought was great, and actually talked to the reject, protected them, even though the people they hated most was friends with said girl as well and always putting his foot in his mouth when it came to them. Yes, he saw that of himself in Malfoy, but Malfoy also caused a lot more damage than he needed to when it came to wanting to make her happy. The only major difference though was that Malfoy wasn't trying to woo the girl, rather wanted to keep in her good graces, but also keep in not only his father's but also the dark lord that would one day command his every action. It was also significantly different, because this said girl was related to said boy. Snape ordered Serena to put in another batch of cannoliopa.

Serena hesitated, looking at the flowering cacti, she knew in too dense of quantity they were poisonous. "Professor-"

"The danagara counteracts the poison, Serena, not to worry, no one will die."

Malfoy suddenly looked at what Serena had in her hands and cataloged the image. Serena dumped them into the pot and a purple smoke whisped out from inside of it.

Serena started coughing, and Snape grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back from the concoction. He knelt in front of her and checked her face and neck out before pulling at her eyes and opening her mouth to look inside. "You're all right." He breathed with a sigh of relief.

Serena turned her head away to cough again, but it wasn't as bad as it had been when she first got blasted by the purple smoke. Malfoy stood back, watching with a concerned face. Serena looked at Snape unsure and slightly confused and then coughed again. "What just happened?"

"It's not yet neutralized." Snape was still recovering from his initial fright. "I wasn't expecting you to stand right over the caldron and dump it in there." His hands were shaking as he pushed away from the kneeling position and away from her. "You gave me a moment of concern." Snape looked away and went back to his task at hand.

Serena didn't push it, and Malfoy joined her side, putting his hand against her skin. "Are you all right?" He whispered down at her and she nodded. She knew it wasn't a moment of concern that he would be fired over the death of a student, he was actually concerned about _her_.

He kept her around for a while longer, but didn't let her touch any of the potion, he wasn't worried about further incident, but in case she still suffer from something she'd already experienced. It was about an hour later, and not yet finished with the potion that Snape dismissed her, reassured that she wouldn't keel over and die outside his door. "You may go Miss Riddle, your services are no longer required, two will suffice for the rest of this potion."

Serena nodded but she hesitated from leaving. She wanted to know what the potion was and why it was being created. Malfoy glanced at her but didn't say anything. "What is this for?"

"It's a warding potion." Snape responded, but didn't clarify on what it was warding off. Serena would have to ask Hermione about it when she could. However she had to be careful with how she worded it, they did not yet know that Snape was a death-eater. Only Malfoy and she did, and perhaps Dumbledore. Malfoy was the one that actually told her who Snape was and how he and Malfoy's father were in a position to hold each other at captive, knowing the other's secret and able to out them, but only when they themselves were at risk for loosing everything. That only partly explained to Serena, why Snape pandered to Draco.

She held Snape's dark eyes for a long moment and he slowly tilted his head towards the door, and she knew that he wanted her gone. She slipped out and paused momentarily outside, trying to listen in, but she could hear only the faint murmur of chatter, nothing particular.

Serena was about to head up to Gryffindor tower when she ran into Oliver Wood and she grinned. She had the perfect way he could repay her now. "Oh Oliver, about that favor..."

Oliver glanced her way and she'd never seen anyone more frightened. "What would that be, Serena?" He gulped nervously, not expecting her to call him on it quite so soon.

"I need you to do some investigating for me." Serena linked arms with him and walked with him in whatever direction he was going. "There's something I need an answer to, and you're the best one to be able to find it for me."

Then she explained what she wanted, he was to go to Snape's office in the next few days and ask him about different potions, complicated potions, potions that would ward things off, like vampires and acne and trolls. Asking as many questions as possible and being insistent, short of getting points reduced from Gryffindor.

Percy rounded the corner, Headboy and acting like it. "What are the two of you doing out here?" He lifted an eyebrow, waiting for their answer. "Nothing I need to worry about, is it?" He glanced specifically at their linked arms and Serena winked at the eldest Weasley she met.

"Not at all. Not unless it makes you jealous."

The boy turned slightly pink and Serena grinned. "On up to your dorms, Miss Riddle, Oliver. You don't want a professor catching you, you'd get into greater trouble then."

Serena bowed her head. "Of course, but Snape held me after today. Malfoy's still with him."

Then Percy did something she'd never seen before, he grinned. "Great! That means he's tied up for the moment! Good on you, Serena."

Serena smiled back at him. "So I take it you will be misbehaving now?"

"I would hope so." Percy did something else unexpected and he winked at her. "Just don't get caught by any of the other teachers or Filch." Serena giggled and ran off, pulling Oliver with her, they had some things to plan out. Oliver groaned as he was dragged along, an unwilling pawn in her master plan.

* * *

After Oliver's digging, she found out that Snape was trying to ward off magical creatures, namely werewolves. Serena had never seen a werewolf, but their affinity towards a full Moon couldn't be a bad thing in her mind, though maybe that was only fantasy werewolves that could control their actions. The Moon did strange things to people all the crazies were out on a full moon.

She could feel it in her blood, a full moon was coming soon, she didn't need to look at the night sky for it either. She glanced down at the table, and caught a glimpse of her hand, there was a long green scar, which was getting wider, not smaller, and she knew that whatever had managed to snag her yesterday would only heal with the Moon's help and her natural abilities weren't going to do much for her until then. Or if she transformed again in the meantime, it might do something. If all else failed, she'd go to Madame Pompfrey. Luckily, it was still small enough that nobody else would notice it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hermione walk into the dining hall and she lifted her head to grin at the girl, and then her face fell when Hermione smiled back. Hermione's lips quivered for a moment before the smile fell off of her face as well. Harry and Ron were pushing back their chairs to go greet the missing girl. They engulfed her in a hug and Serena joined them a second later, feeling bad for causing Hermione to doubt.

"How are you feeling? Do they hurt?"

Serena prodded Ron in the rib cage. "What happened?"

"Malfoy." Harry and Ron stated simply, and Serena glanced up at Ron to see him staring at Hermione with a look of awe.

"What's wrong with your teeth?"

Hermione blushed. "I figured while Madame Pompfrey was reducing the size of my teeth anyway, I could have just forgotten to tell her to stop until they looked right."

"You were always very pretty Hermione, the teeth suit you." Serena smiled. "You're still very pretty." Ron nodded dumbly, and Serena knew he meant to say something along those lines all along, but he always put his foot in it.

Harry grinned at the girl. "Serena's right. You look great!"

"Glad something good came out of Malfoy's actions." Hermione agreed and Serena's eyes sharpened. "They didn't tell you?" Serena clearly hadn't been told, for Hermione could see it and went into detail about the lunch the day before.

Serena didn't say anything on the matter, not about Malfoy or even to his face, and that was probably the best thing Serena had done all semester with the too blond boy. The boy was dancing around her, waiting for her to either notice or to take it out on him, for what he had done to one of her best friends. He kept expecting her to glance or look or talk to Hermione and then blow up at him, give him a reproving look or just to avoid him all together. She did none of that, and kept on like she normally would if he wasn't acting up.

All week this little charade continued. Then it was the weekend and Ron and Hermione whispered to the two locked up for the same time, that they'd see them in Hogsmede. Malfoy and the goonies, were off as well. Malfoy paused by the quad-squad for a moment, looking into Serena's face. "Are you sure there's nothing you want me to bring back for you?"

Serena shrugged. "I desire nothing, but thank you. Have fun."

Harry laughed as Malfoy slinked off with what even he wouldn't consider friends. "See you then." Harry told the brunette and redhead as they left as well. "What do you want to do for the time being?'

"I'm thinking about heading down to Hagrid's. Would you like to join me?" Serena asked, as they walked back towards the castle.

"That sounds like a good plan, but I'd have to see you in an hour or so. You just reminded me that I had other things to take care of." Harry touched her briefly on the shoulder before running off.

Serena had no idea what Harry had to do, but she continued on her path to Hagrid's. She frowned at the sight that greeted her. Buckbeak was filtering around the edges of the forbidden forest and Hagrid was trying to shoo him off. Serena came to a standstill right next to Hagrid and cleared her throat. She had to duck, to narrowly avoid missing the arm swinging at her head as Hagrid turned in surprise. He missed what he had nearly done to her. "Oh! Serena! What are you doing out here?"

"I came down here to see you. Why are you trying to get rid of Buckbeak?" She looked between the kind groundskeeper-professor and the proud majestic animal.

Hagrid scratched the back of his neck. "Well... the matter hasn't been settled yet over Malfoy and Buckbeak, so if they can't find 'im, they can't charg' 'im."

"They'd charge an animal? With what? Intent to maim?" Serena's frown grew deeper, really Malfoy was not hurt, and even if he had been, it would have been a quick heal.

With Hagrid not replying, Serena finally saw the picture clearing, saw how right her thoughts had been. Serena looked to Hagrid, trying to find some evidence that she read it wrong, but the answer was clear as day for her and she moaned a little at the thought. She turned to Buckbeak and walked straight up to him, without even going through the proper greeting. Hagrid's hand caught air with where her shoulder had just been in his attempt to stop her, and she felt the movement. But he didn't dare join her, in case it riled Buckbeak. Serena laid her cheek against Buckbeak's face and held it there, allowing her feelings to communicate with the horse-bird. Then she spoke, willing it to understand that it needed to leave, at least for now, until the matter was resolved once and for all.

Buckbeak nudged her in response, understanding, at least a little of what she wanted. He nudged her again with affection and it almost knocked her off her feet before he turned back to the woods and disappeared. Hagrid let out a noticeable sigh of relief, now that he didn't have two Malfoy decedents to deal with. Not that he would ever hold that against her, he above all others knew what judging solely on background did. And he was glad that Buckbeak would be safe for a while longer at least. At some point Buckbeak might be caught, and his looking for the creature would be questioned on its validity. "Thanks Serena."

Serena hitched a smile onto her features and tossed it towards Hagrid, though she secretly wasn't as happy about it as she pretended, not that she needed to be too happy about this matter. Draco had lied to her. _This_ she'd confront him on.

Serena sank down into the snow near Hagrid's hut, his twisted chimney was puffing inside from the magical fire. Fang collapsed onto the ground next to her, keeping her warm as she ran her hand through his fur and stared out onto the grounds. She was sure the snow would melt under her and she'd be wet, but at the moment she didn't care. Hagrid came out later and sat down near her, also in the snow. If they didn't move, some of the other creatures, the sweet ones, would poke their head out and curiosity would get to them and they'd venture away from the forest. They never went too far, Hagrid's hut being the line they just didn't cross.

Now she saw a snow-rabbit. But it wasn't just any muggle version of the creature. This one had rotating ears that would allow it to fly and the face could turn into a drill-like creation and escape into the ground. Hagrid had been annoyed by the amount of holes in his ground until he realized what was happening. It still got under his skin at times.

Hagrid stood up and walked inside for a moment. While he was gone, Serena heard a rustling in the treeline, and she peered into it, wondering what else she would see from her relatively safe distance. She thought she saw a wolf. Its eyes gleaming at her from the shadows. Though she wasn't frightened of any creature, this one made her pause because of the distrust she felt radiating off of it. Then a blanket was placed over her shoulders, but it was strange, she hadn't heard Hagrid come back. The thank you was on her lips as her attention moved mostly from the creature still hidden in the forest to Hagrid, but it froze seeing not the half-giant as she suspected.

"Professor!" She gasped as he dropped down into the snow next to her.

"Beware of werewolves, my dear. They are not friendly creatures, nor would they hesitate to attack you."

"But they're creatures of the night." Serena tried arguing. "Creatures of the Moon."

"They are creatures of the moon." He agreed with a knowing look. "But it is their punishment, the moon, for what they've done to it. Or at least for most of them. But they are dangerous still. Especially for you."

Serena tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "That I cannot tell you."

"Except you're warning me." Serena argued. "Why do that, but not tell me what you know?"

"The secrets of your birth are exactly that. I only know what little I have been allowed to know. But I have promised not to disclose too much to you, in case you do not already know."

Serena bit her bottom lip. "Then can you tell me who knows? Who you've promised not to share what you know?"

"That I can, but I really don't have to, for you already know." Dumbledore smiled kindly at her and Serena's frown was short lived as she too realized what he was saying and then he was rewarded with a brilliant smile. Dumbledore nodded before getting up. Serena jumped to her feet to help him. "Do not worry, these old bones have seen a lot, but I can still manage a simple rise. Thank you, for your offer of assistance." Dumbledore landed a soft hand on her head and leaned forward slightly before walking off. Serena felt like that was nearly a bow the way he did that, and yet he was showing her affection and reassurance.

She mused over Dumbledore's behavior as she glanced back into the woods, having turned completely away from it to watch Dumbledore walk away. The creature in the woods was gone, but so too was the snow-rabbit. Fang whined at her side and she nodded, he jumped to his feet and together they walked to Hagrid's hut.

It wasn't too much longer before Harry joined them. "Where'd you run off to Harry?" Hagrid asked, dropping a hand onto Harry's back.

"No where really, I just needed to get a warmer cloak." He glanced purposely at Serena and she had to stifle a giggle at Hagrid's confusion. It was a fairly warm day, even though it had recently snowed, and inside Hagrid's hut was plenty warm enough to not need anything like that.

Hagrid shook his head, believing it was a joke between the two of them and changed the subject. They talked for awhile longer, before Harry nudged Serena in the side. "Well we best be off. Don't want to miss lunch."

Serena nodded enthusiastically, her stomach even rumbled at the thought of it, though she just ate. "Ah, really?" Hagrid's face cast downwards. "I could make ye something."

"It's ok Hagrid." Serena took his hand in hers. "The elves go through enough trouble already, we don't want to put further expectation of food on your shoulders."

Harry nodded, though even if it wasn't misleading, he wouldn't want any of Hagrid's cooking... His drinks were barely passable. "We'll be back tomorrow." Harry promised, though things always changed on them, he thought he could make this one stick. Again, another enthusiastic nod from Serena.

With a lighter heart, Hagrid let them go and they raced away from the hut towards the main entrance into the castle and then down a side hallway and into an abandoned room. They slipped down through the tunnel entrance and through the long pathway to where they could reemerge and filter around with the rest of society.

They couldn't find Hermione or Ron anywhere in town, so they trekked up the mountain's pass, along the way catching up with Malfoy and his goonies. The two of them shared a smile under the cloak and disappeared into the hillside, so they could follow without footprints. When Malfoy and his thugs stopped, Harry and Serena were surprised to see Ron and Hermione. The two were looking out over the hillside towards the shack. Ron was explaining it to her, the history and what people said about it. "They say its the most haunted place in the entire world. The number of ghosts is not important, rather the happenings that go on instead. It shrieks every month, when the moon is high in the sky. A recreation of what once was, a horrible, brutal murder."

The two were standing close, Ron's fingers barely brushing the back of Hermione's hand. Her fingers quivered as if to grab his hand, either to get him to stop or for comfort, Harry and Serena never found out, as Malfoy had to open his big mouth and ruin it all.

"Isn't it the love-birds! How do you like your girlfriend's new teeth? I can fix them again for you. Or would you just rather commemorate me on a job well done?" Serena was surprised at the viciousness of Malfoy, she had never seen it unleashed in quite this way.

"Leave her alone, Malfoy."

"Ooh, what are you going to do Weasley?" Malfoy laughed and Crabbe and Goyle did too. "Curse me with a failed spell? I think it'd be better if you only let your girlfriend handle the matters of magic. Filthy mud-blood that she is." An eyebrow quirked up at that. "But it doesn't matter, all the dirty breeds will get whats coming to them soon enough."

Harry pushed Serena down behind a log and then whipped the cloak from her, gathering up a snow ball and plastering it on the back of Malfoy's head. Harry quickly gathered up another snow ball and launched it at Crabbe's back, and saw two fly at the same time, one hitting Goyle at the back of his knee. Harry glanced over to Serena, to see her giggling, but holding back the sound. He warned her to be quiet and to stay hidden before he snuck down the hill far enough away not to leave any visible tracks leading back to the two of them.

Then he tripped Goyle.

He pulled down Malfoy's pants and pulled Crabbe along by his tie until he face-planted. It freaked them out, as he kept messing with them, and avoiding their swings in his direction, or at least what they thought was his direction. "Lets get out of here." Malfoy quivered and ran. His two lackeys on his heels.

Harry turned towards Hermione and Ron, he figured Hermione already figured it out, so he toyed a little with Ron instead who started to freak out as well. Then he pulled Hermione's hair into different directions. "Harry, stop!" Hermione laughed trying to keep her hair in a semblance of order.

Harry pulled off the cloak, she'd known he'd catch up eventually. It's what he planned to do to them anyways. Tease them, but he figured Serena would be with him to do that. "Bloody hell Harry, if Serena had seen that, she'd be pissed..." Ron was just asking about her too when she came rolling down the hill, laughing the whole time. She could barely contain herself as she sat at the bottom of the hill they hid in, along the edge of the path.

Her laughter was contagious and since she wasn't angry, they all joined her.

"Come on." Hermione walked over and pulled Serena to her feet. "It's not good for you to sit in the snow so long."

It was true, and Serena paid for it that night. But it might have had something to do with the late night call as well. Or the cut on her hand.

* * *

EAN: I was writing this, and it reminded me of the strangest dream I had over a year ago (or I think it was a year ago) anyway, my strange dreams are always related to board games, teachers and people you wouldn't think would be friends/friendly. I think it was about HP even, and being helped along through the game. I don't know, it wasn't any game that we have in the world and it reminded me of another few dreams I had. But there is one scene where the dream just flashed to mind, and I thought it was funny, even if you don't... oh well.

EAN2: I have discovered a crossover that I am reasonably happy with, for its well-thought-out-ness and yet still had a bit of twists and turns that aren't exactly canon. But it's HP/Twilight called the Cullens Go to Hogwarts. A very unfortunate name, and I only stumbled upon it by chance, and gave it almost as much of one because of the lack of originality in the title. That's not to say however, that the plot was unoriginal. I thought there was a lot of good side thoughts that made it into a truly original crossover.


	18. Chapter 18

Year 2

Part 2

Chapter 13/18

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AN: I couldn't for the life of me figure out why I stopped updating this. Then I realized when I reread the story that I was missing a significant chunk from this story on my computer/USB. Something happened between 11.3.2010 and 12.4.2010 and 2.2.2011... and since that's all over 2 years ago, I can't remember what exactly transpired to let all this happen. In fact it is really screwy because the created date is **after** the modified date by a month. I think I had this problem back then too but thought it was just a fluke and so closed it thinking if it reopened it'd be fine, however I didn't realize that this time around so I _think_ I saved over it... oops. Still not sure what happened there. Anyhow, everything you read now is from 7.10.2013 and on, not to mean that it wasn't originally in the cards but I've had to rewrite all of what I had/can remember. Even the last 2 chapters that I've got on here were missing when I came back to this story so... oh well. I'm sure I can pick it up. I've copied in those two chapters and the rest of the third and will go from here. I'm a religious saver so I can't explain it, it was just missing. Hopefully it doesn't happen again. I usually get discouraged when I lose it, not when I have it written somewhere else or need to fix it, just lose it altogether. That's the worst.

AN2: I'm starting this up again, sorry its been so long but as you've read above there were reasons for that. I've also been hit my more inspiration so I've actually got a few chapters started beyond just this one. Also I need to remind you that all seven 'years' are going to be in 4, that means when they started year 1 they were 14 going on 15, not 11. Meaning in this 'year' they're 15 going on 16. Kind of like High School, some will be 18 before the school year finishes in year 4. I *might* _might_ *might* make it into 5 years depending on how all of this goes and Harry will be turning 18 in the summer between year 4 and 5. However if it is 5 years then that last year will be _after _they finish Hogwarts. Don't ask me how that's going to go, I'm not sure yet. I'll cross that fabled bridge when I come to it. Oh and sorry about the other stories too, I have a tendency to write less in the summer, too busy. They'll be updated again sometime in September/October. This one will probably be updated before then. Cheerios!

–

Serena didn't know how she made it through her classes the next day. No one appeared to notice that she was shivering and she didn't want to draw attention to it either. It felt like a bad case of food poisoning but knew that couldn't be right. She drew her robes closer around her but the chill went all the way through and had nothing to do with the outside environment. Though she wasn't alone in her shivering, the temperatures had taken another dip over night. Serena pulled her gloves up higher on her wrists and made sure that no skin was bare.

In her head she kept count of the hours it was before she could slip away into the night. The sooner the better and then it would be over. It would be done with and gone and she could be a normal student again. She didn't even bother qualifying that anymore, it wasn't worth the hassle or brain power, who had she to say anything to anyway?

Hagrid was going on about fire crabs and Serena was about ready to aggravate one just so she could bloody well warm up! "Look 'ere-" He pointed to the back end. "It shoots fire out of its back end. So be ready to move."

Someone asked a question and Serena was only half listening as she drifted off into a daze watching the sun reflect off of the pretty sapphires on the back of her turtle-like crab. Hermione picked right up on what she would have missed otherwise. "Wait, wait, you crossed these with what?"

"Manticores! I call tem babies blast-ended skrewts."

Serena dropped her head into her leather-cased hands and groaned. She liked all animals and maybe not equally but she would deal with them all as they came but Hagrid really needed to start thinking things through. She was not up to dealing with a temperamental beast today. All she really wanted to do was go to sleep, preferably in the fire.

Malfoy made some quip about an animal that could sting, bite and burn you all at the same time and Serena had to agree. Harry was looking at them as if he didn't understand. "What's so wrong with this kind of creature?"

"Take the most dangerous creature the wizarding world already has and add another way for it to kill you? What's wrong with that?" Hermione was shaking her head. "Honestly, don't you read any of your books?"

"Excuse me if I didn't want to be ate every time I tried to stroke my book's back." Harry defended himself. "I just didn't get to that chapter yet."

"It's the first one." Even Ron knew that. Serena couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.

Hagrid was trying to explain that his new creature was a neat one but then he said something about females having blood sucking abilities and when the class dissolved into a racket he dismissed them, but next class they were going to learn how to feed the fire crabs without getting burnt.

Serena was so glad it was the last class for the day and she headed straight for the dorms. Though she found herself lagging behind the others and she tried to put more speed into her walk but she felt like she was walking on jello legs. Each step seemed disproportionate to the next. The world would expand before narrowing in and then expanded again. It would do it all over again on the next step with the other leg. It almost caused her to careen into to the walls or the students but she managed without major incident all the way back to the common hall. She slipped up to the dorms and crashed onto her bed. Tonight she'd go out and take care of this. Her eyes shut.

–

Harry watched Serena stumble her way across the room and then disappear. "You should probably check on her." He mentioned casually to Hermione who was also watching Serena leave. Ron was focused on setting up the chess game.

"Why?" Ron looked up to look between the two. "What's wrong with Serena?"

"You really are dense, aren't you?" Hermione huffed in annoyance. "Anyway it's probably nothing serious. I'll check on her before I go to bed. There were some symptoms similar to these earlier this year and all she needed was a good night's rest." Hermione didn't want to disturb her if that's all she needed. She didn't fully understand Serena and wanted to respect the blond's wishes.

"If you're sure..." Harry was more concerned than the other two, he hadn't seen her like that before and it seemed like more than a good night's sleep needed.

Ron managed to pull him into a game of chess and then the three of them turned to their studies. Crookshanks curled up onto Hermione's lap, sleeping happily as a large ginger lump. Neville joined them a few minutes later and tried morphing his toad into a different animal. Other small familiars were around the room with their owners and Crookshanks barely peaked a look at them. Ron grumbled when he got some of his fur into his face and he wiped angrily away at it. "Why do you have that blasted cat anyway? Couldn't you have gotten an owl or something? My rat's been cowering in its cage waiting for him to attack."

"Crookshanks isn't interested in your rat. As you can see he doesn't care much about the small critters. It's all in your head. What a worthless rat it is anyway, old and won't do anything. At least Neville's toad changes on occasion." To prove her point the toad turned blue when it was supposed to turn into a cup. "Still better than having a tail swinging as you try to drink out of it." Hermione praised kindly. "At least people won't confuse it with the other and its a pretty color."

"I'm hopeless." Neville groaned and hid his head under his hands.

"You just need to practice more and have confidence in yourself. You'll get there." Hermione patted him on the back.

"Thanks Hermione." Neville pulled his head up and nodded, trying to look at things her way, he already got points the previous year for being braver than he thought he was, now he just had to pull that through to other things as well.

"I'm going up to bed." Hermione announced and swept up the stairs without a backwards glance, Crookshanks under her arm.

"What's her problem?" Ron asked Harry who only shrugged, though Ron had been kind of behind the ball today, and insulted her cat. Ron pulled his attention back to his studies and Harry reluctantly followed suit. He was worried about the two of them, Hermione for her sudden mood swing which probably had more to do with lack of sleep than anything else and Serena for her odd behavior today.

–

When Hermione checked on Serena, she was under her covers but from what Hermione could see she was still fully dressed, gloves and all. The brunette knew it was only a temporary solution and in the middle of the night she'd be overheating. It was much too warm in the house quarters in this otherwise drafty castle to sleep fully clothed.

Hermione pulled off Serena's robes and left her dressed underneath and struggled with taking off the gloves, Serena had her hands clenched tight and against her chest. She managed to get one off but the other was an impossible task. She set the glove next to Serena's bed on the table there and went through her own nightly motions.

–

First to rise, Hermione got dressed and got ready for the day. When she got back from using the bathroom most of the other girls were up and about but Serena was still asleep in her bed. She didn't look as if she moved at all through the night. She was in the same position Hermione last saw her in and she went over to grab Serena's shoulder to force her awake since the noise wasn't doing anything.

Serena turned by Hermione's hand and physics but that was all, she didn't stir and she looked unusually pale. Hermione reached for skin and encountered extreme heat. She dropped her hand back to her side and bolted from the room, calling for help as she ran. "Harry! Harry! Ron-!" She grasped the redhead's shirt and pulled him behind her.

"What's the matter?" Ron was still somewhat sleepy and he followed Hermione with reluctance and started to literally drag his feet when he realized where she was taking him. "Uh-uh, I'm not allowed up there-"

Hermione turned on him and he could have sworn he'd seen the gates of hell flung apart. "Something's wrong with Serena!" He started to overtake her as he ran in the direction he thought was the room the girls shared. He went to the wrong door but was dragged away before he could open it. "This one." Hermione pushed it open, the years got to pick which room they wanted based on seniority and this time the girls decided to keep what they had the year before.

When the entered the remaining girls seemed to have gotten wind of something being amiss with Serena and gathered around her not sure what to do. Ron and Hermione pushed their way through and Ron slid his arms under the slight blond and lifted her up. He yelped. "Yikes she's hot."

"I know." Hermione tried to keep the crowd from closing up again but their actions seemed to spark some rationality in the girls and they moved aside to let them pass. Back through the common room and Harry was looking for the ginger in his age group while talking with the three older ones. Percy's mouth open to chide Ron for going into the girls' quarters but thought better of it when he took in Serena's state.

"I'll inform McGonagall."

"Here, let me take her." George held out his arms, in Ron's Serena's head was tipped all the way back and even though Serena wasn't heavy or all that big she was still too much for Ron until he grew into a man, which would be well into his twenties if not thirties.

"Careful, she's hot." Ron passed her off even though Fred snorted at the comment as if it was a joke or something funny but George realized right away when he touched her what Ron meant. "Literally." Ron clarified dumbly as the five of them headed towards Madame Pomfrey's.

She had Serena laid out on one of the beds and stripped her of her other glove and froze in her actions as her eyes caught sight of Serena's left hand. "Go-" She waved towards the door distraught. "Go!"

"Go where?" Harry asked refusing to budge, even if it was something contagious, they would have already been exposed.

"Get Professor Snape, I'm going to need his expertise of this-"

"I'm already here, Poppy." Snape's voice cut across her panic and he cast his eyes towards the students. "You should all be in class. Disperse. "

"No way." The five of them stood in solidarity against going, especially now.

"There's nothing you can do and you shall only be in our way. Go on." Snape's eyes bore down on Harry but he wasn't budging and neither were the others. Snape's top lip curled in distaste. "If you must stay, go over there." He pointed to the other side of the room then he pulled the curtains around him, Serena and Madame Pomfrey. They could hear his voice, a low soothing sound compared to the woman's who was obviously out of her element with whatever was wrong with Serena.

McGonagall showed up not much later and she ground to a halt when she saw the teenagers sitting there, waiting. She looked unsure for a moment. "I don't suppose the five of you will go off to class any time soon, will you?" With heads shaking for an answer she nodded. "All right then. Stay there, you'll be allowed to miss for the day. But only the day." She warned and they acknowledged that much. McGonagall slid into the area that still had the other two adults and her voice was heard clearly. "Oh my. What's happened?" Then more mumblings. They were kept in the dark, but all had seen the green creeping up her arm as if it had gotten into her veins and spread.

"Do you remember seeing anything wrong with her?" Hermione finally asked. "Usually I try to keep an eye on her but I have been so busy these last few days, I just-"

"It's not your fault, you're not to blame." Harry countered instantly. "We should have noticed something earlier but she's not the easiest person to keep track of. There's a lot of secrets still with her." Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "What could have caused that?"

"I don't know, I have theories but nothing I've come across can explain that. I'd have to do some research." Hermione laced her fingers and leaned forward, feeling so helpless sitting here and doing nothing.

Ron put a hand on her back. "If you want to go-"

"I'm not leaving to go to _classes_!" Hermione's voice rose in defense.

"And get some books, we'll keep you updated on her condition for the short amount of time you're not here." Ron continued purposefully ignoring her outburst and she settled.

"Thanks Ron, but maybe after the professors come back out."

McGonagall did first and she gave them a short nod before heading towards the door, she had classes to teach and a house to run but she paused as if she remembered something. "Hermione, I know how much you'll be wanting to do so, but don't use it for this. You can't know when or where it happened and there's just too many other places you'll need to be."

"I-... I understand." Hermione looked away and so did not see McGonagall's sad nod before she left for real this time.

Ginny arrived after her first class with tears in her eyes. "I didn't understand why I hadn't seen any of you before breakfast. Someone should have _told _me. She's my friend too!" They made room for Ginny but it was after the second bell that Fred shifted restlessly.

"What's taking Snape so long?" He grouched.

Snape snapped back the curtains and glared at the the twins. "If you must know I needed to take samples among other things. You may see her now, but I must warn you it has gotten worse and will continue to do so until I can find a solution." With a flick of his robes he headed out of the infirmary.

Pomfrey turned to look at them and a frown slid its way onto her lips. "Only three at a time. I don't want you crowding her."

It was a no brainer how the three each were grouped the argument was on way the golden trio got to go see her first. "Because we're her best friends."

George snorted. "_We're_ her favorite Weasleys." He threw an arm around both Ginny and Fred.

"Nice joke." Ron walked over to Serena without a backwards glance and sat by her bed, he just stared at her arm for the longest time. As he watched, the green crept up her arm painstakingly slow. His actions cut through the argument and Harry and Hermione didn't waste a moment to join him. "Why is she unconscious if its just her hand and half of her forearm? Why is she so hot?"

Fred opened his mouth to say something but George elbowed him to remain quiet. He wanted to hear the answer.

Pomfrey opened her mouth and then closed it before opening it once more. "Well I can't answer both questions but with any infection the body works hard to fight it. The heat she's giving off is her body working fast and hard and its creating an internal heat."

"She's cold." Hermione pointed out, drawing the blanket up over Serena's chest as she shivered suddenly.

"Also part of the fighting of infections. She's being given fluids and the blankets are warmed for her but until we can fight the infection I can't do anything for her. Its not mending broken bones, fixing extra long teeth or regrowing them. Severus is the most likely candidate to find a cure for her."

"Sure he's not the one that caused it?" Ron bit out wanting to comfort Serena somehow but he was on the wrong side. He didn't want to hurt her by touching her hand. He didn't think Snape would have any motivation to help Serena out.

"Snape is a professor." Hermione defended the least liked professor, well, in her case second least, Trelawney had him beat by a mile in her book. "He would not allow Serena to be hurt. In any case it is in his interest for her to survive. It would do him better if there were a subtler way to off her than by doing nothing. Something that wouldn't put the blame on him in any form or way. He has to answer to the higher ups. At the very least Dumbledore would have something to say."

Harry looked down at Serena wondering what he could do to help. Then he looked up as something occurred to him. "Black couldn't have got in here and done this to her, could he?"

Hermione bit her lip thinking about her answer. "Depends on the motive."

"Like why he'd leave _me _alone to go after her?" Harry followed Hermione's train of thought. "Easy enough, she left him to rot in prison."

"Voldemort is dead and Serena was a baby, she knew nothing of him until his escape. Since he was one of Voldemort's followers, it's far more likely he'll want her to live and for you to die." Hermione sighed. "I don't think he's to blame for this either. Then again he's not exactly rational after surviving nearly fourteen years in Azkaban."

"Alakazam." Serena mumbled and turned.

Ron laughed while Hermione went to fetch Pomfrey, its the first sign of life they'd seen since the day before, but she didn't say anything else and didn't move again. Pomfrey looked her over but had nothing more she could do. Serena had to either pull out of this herself or Snape had to come through for her.

"She's determined to make me see that it's Alcatraz but she got it even more wrong now."

"Alakazam?" Harry frowned at Hermione and she smiled in response.

"Cheap movies think they know some spells. Alakazam, open seasame, etc. It's a muggle thing Ron."

"Oh." Ron placed his hand on her shin. "Well she can teach me all about it once she gets better." The three of them moved back so the twins and Ginny could spend time with her. All six stayed long into the night and they fell asleep on each other and the chairs around the room. Ginny's head was against Harry's chest while Ron's head was in Hermione's lap. The twins kept bonking heads together as they slept so were the only ones to see Snape enter long after the sun went down.

"You best go to your beds. There will be a long day tomorrow if you don't get sleep now." Pomfrey roused them enough to get the twins up and moving. George picked Ginny up to carry her piggy-back style while Fred held Hermione over one shoulder and Harry over the other. George brought Ron back with a floater spell. All four of them slept the whole way back.

–

Serena stirred in her sleep feeling heavy and weighed down. She was still so tired. Her head turned and she blinked several times trying to clear her sight, where were Hermione and the rest of the girls in her year? Why were all the beds empty? Where were the trunks? Had she somehow missed several months?

No, wait, they weren't all empty, there was someone sleeping in a bed across the hall. So the students hadn't all gone home. There was something missing in her logic but she couldn't decipher it right now. She made some noise trying to get her attention.

Black momentarily surrounded her vision and her heart picked up its pace, trying to leap out before she realized she hadn't passed out. She narrowed her eyes to focus on the girl's face. Realization hit hard as she looked into pale features and dark, dark eyes. "Snape?"

"Miss Riddle." His tone was as dry as ever as his eyes scanned her features. "I am pleased to see you awaken. The potion I gave you seems to have a positive effect, though I am disappointed by how slow it is working. But small improvements are to be commended, though in no small part is it working alone. Your natural body chemistry is working hard to maintain it."

"Wha-" She raised her hand to rub at her forehead and eyes, trying to make some kind of sense out of his words, it froze half way up. The candles helped her vision by casting subdued light over her and the contrast was unnatural. "It's spread."

"It was up to your shoulder and creeping across your chest even while the potion was starting to work. The two warred for awhile and for a long time I thought whatever is afflicting you would win. The potion needs to be administered every hour in frequently larger doses. I have brewed a fair amount and have started a second batch. Unfortunately you have come down with this affliction at a most unfortunate time. Most of my caldrons are being used for another remedy."

"I know." Serena groaned and closed her eyes tightly.

"I do not believe you understand the gravity of the situation. You could not." Serena's eyes snapped open to see Snape look her arm over again. "It does not want to give up the fight easily. Even now, the green has receded to your elbow but its tentacles stake its claims in your veins, the last to shrink back. It requires close continuous supervision. I wasn't sure at which stage consciousness would return to you. Pomfrey commented that you spoke earlier, one word but no more."

"What did I say?" Serena's mouth felt papery and it hurt like it was tender.

"I haven't the slightest clue. Does it matter?"

Yes, yes it did. It mattered a lot. It could be the downfall for all she was trying to do or something incredibly embarrassing or in a very rare case, it could be harmful.

He lifted a black brow, waiting for her answer. She wasn't going to give it, didn't she could. She was trying to force moisture into her mouth. "Unfortunate side-effect of the potion. Your mouth will return to normal a week after you stop taking it."

Serena nodded and settled into her bed. "Thank you for helping me."

"I am a professor." His words followed her into her sleep as she drifted off once more and she thought just before her eyes closed that he looked concerned. But that couldn't be right, could it?

–

Serena woke again to Ron complaining about Snape and how the great professor wasn't here when he was needed. There were only three of them in the room, well and Madame Pomfrey. "He was here last night." Serena spoke and her mouth felt worse than before and Hermione held up a cool refreshing drink that only marginally helped.

"For what, a shift?" Ron kicked at dust on the floor. "I don't see what help he's been, it looks the same as it did yesterday."

Serena's eyes turned to her arm and was surprised to see it halfway down her forearm. "It's better."

Her words weren't heard though as all attention was riveted on Pomfrey's response. "Snape was here through the night, even when I took my shifts, he was either asleep or monitoring from that bed. He only left to square his classes away and check on the next round of potion. He has two brewing simultaneously."

"Why can't he just make a bunch at once?" Ron still had a sour face on but Serena was reflecting on things thoughtfully. Snape had stayed the whole night?

Hermione was watching the green on her arm waver back and forth. When it started creeping up again, she said something and Pomfrey was right there to make Serena swallow down the next batch. Hermione turned her candor onto Ron. "Not all potions keep, some have to be taken the day its made. In fact the other day when I was done there I noticed that there was eight days worth of the same potion. Two for each day it looked like, almost like he was afraid that one of each could potentially be bad." Her eyes narrowed as if trying to figure it out. "Though he must be done with those by now."

"Potions take time to clean out, Miss Granger, if you must know. Done improperly and the next potion will be terribly off and might kill the subject rather than help it and nobody wants that now, do we?"

Snape darkened their door and Ron bristled at the insult but Harry held a hand on his arm. "Let's get going, we have class." Harry nudged Ron towards the other set and he glanced back at Serena. "Sorry. Neville sends his best, he was curious how you were at breakfast, said he would have gotten up here if he'd known."

"It's ok." Serena smiled weakly at the trio as they filed out. Her eyes flickered over to Snape who, as usual, was still frowning but this time it seemed to have deepened.

"It has gotten worse again." Snape reached out to touch her but then thought better of it. "You should have mentioned it."

"I didn't realize." Serena shifted, she had spent too much time lying down. If it was a day to sleep she might have relished it, but she hated being fawned over like this. It ruined the whole thing. Her eyes lifted and held onto Snape's. "I figured it out during break."

Snape sighed heavily. "Whatever it is couldn't have been all that difficult if you could figure it out that easily."

She blinked, giving him that. "I don't blame you. What happened. I understand."

"You are clearly delusional. Go back to sleep Miss Riddle, I'll administer a second dose now and hope it speeds up the process."

Serena was already drifting off. "I really don't."

"You don't know what happened, so how can you blame me or pardon me of it? I blame myself for so many things that have happened."

"S'not yer fall." The toxin that had seeped into her blood stream really took a number on her and even if it was receding, it wasn't changing much in that regards.

"Yes, it was. Same with Evans."

"Evans?" Except she was asleep after that question and she wouldn't remember much of this when she woke up again.

When she did, Neville was sitting by her bed. "It's lunch, thought I'd bring you something." He handed her a plate and helped propped her up.

She looked at it not comprehending for a moment then shook her head. "I didn't realize. I haven't ate anything in..."

"A few days it seems." Neville nodded towards Snape who was sitting across the room but wasn't in hearing distance if they kept their voices down. "He's canceled all of his classes for the day. Lupin isn't anywhere to be found, his classes were supposed to be covered by Professor Snape, which doesn't seem to be happening."

"Oh." Serena hadn't thought of that. "I suppose they would have to be." Serena moved the food around with her finger before she picked up a sweet. "Thanks Neville."

"No problem. I'm the only one you can trust not to eat it on the way up here and remember to bring it in the first place." He winked at her before standing up. "I've got to get going. I got Magical Creatures-"

Serena nodded and squeezed his hand before letting him go. It was nice to have so many concerned people here for her. She vaguely remembered seeing Hagrid fill the room while she was sleeping and swore she heard Dumbledore's voice. Yet all the time it didn't seem as if she was alone. Sure there was Madame Pomfrey but if felt like more than that. She was beginning to suspect that Snape didn't leave for much.

She looked down at her arm and almost cheered, it was down to her wrist. "If it completely disappears, can I get back to my life?" She asked and Snape rose to his feet with a bored look. "Why not just load me up with potion and force it out completely?"

"It won't work. It has to reach and fight the toxin in your arm, too much and it will restrict access and the toxin will seep through the cracks." He gestured to her plate and then to the table next to her. "Hermione has brought your school books if you would care to occupy your awake hours with studying."

"I'd rather occupy it with food." She didn't feel hungry but she dedicated the next hour to the task.

"Suit yourself."

–

Harry was by himself when he came in just before nightfall. He sat on the bed beside her and told her about his day. "You didn't miss much. Of the seven core courses only five happened and even they were rather boring. CMC just wasn't the same without you. Neville got scratched by a Bowtruckle." Harry rolled his eyes. "Apparently Neville didn't give him the right kind of lice."

"Sounds interesting." Serena rubbed at her eyes and Harry started in alarm. "What is it?"

"Your arm! It's back up to your elbow!"

Serena looked down at it in growing distress, it relapsed faster than it had done the first time around. Snape came in a whirl of dark fabric and pushed Harry back. He gave Serena more of the potion but it didn't seem to slow it at all. "Potter get out of here."

"No way!" Harry refused to leave when Snape threatened points and even refused when Snape did take those points away. "I'm not going anywhere."

As Serena watched the green darkened and crawled up her arm. "Snape you have to take me outside." She grabbed at his arm. "_Outside, __**now**_."

"Miss Riddle outside is no place for you to be, especially on a night like this."

"This is the perfect time." Serena swung her legs over the side and pushed herself off the bed, she'd take herself out there if no one else would. Her legs gave out from under her but Harry caught her on one side while Snape grabbed the other.

Snape was trying to get her back into bed, he would figure out a way to increase the potion dosage. "When you are ill like this you should be in the infirmary."

"It's too late for that. We've tried your way, now its time for mine. Harry-" She turned to him for help. "I can't explain it but I just know that I need to go out there. Please."

Harry looped her arm around his neck and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "What can it hurt?"

"A great deal in the regards of her progress."

"Please Snape, while I can still direct you." Serena's large blue eyes were doing their magic all on their own, nothing was needed but the plight in them. "Consider this retribution."

"If you survive." Snape snarled, then repented. "It is with great reluctance that I submit to this request." He helped Harry carry her out of the room but it was already long enough for the toxin to spread to her shoulder and across her chest, she was sounding loopy once more and her eyes had a hard time staying open. "It is too fast for potions."

They were outside but Serena let out a sound of distress. "Too much cloud-" Her head rested on Harry's shoulder.

He jostled her. "Come on Serena, stay awake. Where too now?"

"Down the stairs, into the field."

"Field?" Harry questioned, seeing a fair amount of green space but nothing was field like. He and Snape took her down the stairs though, just as she asked.

"Here." She waved to the bottom where there was a post. "There." They set her down and moved back, waiting.

Serena snuggled back against it awaiting patiently for the clouds to move. When they did Harry didn't see anything different though Snape straightened in alarm. Harry turned to look back at Serena and she looked like she was resting peacefully, a small smile crossed her features and she turned her face up to the large full moon. Snape's hand came down onto Harry's shoulder and squeezed but little by little it relaxed as Snape's fears didn't come true, whatever they were.

In fact she seemed to glow a little, like the moon was highlighting Serena and only Serena while the rest of the world was dark. The green resisted a little as it crept up the side of her face but then it was being chased away, back down to the source. It seemed like hours but was really only a minute and she was healed. There wasn't a single trace of what ailed her.

"What the hell was that?" Harry exclaimed, he was used to magic but that was something else entirely. Except he didn't get an answer, Serena had passed out. "Typical."

Snape picked her up and carried her back inside. Tomorrow, if she was awake and was fully healed, she could go back to her quarters on her own steam. Harry bunked out in a bed near Snape's unofficial and technically off the record bed. He wanted to be near Serena, not Snape. "Potter you should go back to Gryffindor."

"Not until morning. I'm staying here." Serena laughed and mumbled something but she didn't wake up. Harry took that as a good sign. Snape scowled and settled back into a hard chair by his 'bed'. Another short laugh followed but then they heard no more.

It was Dumbledore that woke him in the morning with a hand on his shoulder. "So this is where you have gotten to Harry." He smiled kindly down at the boy. "I had heard good news through the night, it seems our Miss Riddle is miraculously healed. Such strange words coming from a wizard." He chuckled and turned away from Harry. "Though it is unwise for the two of you to be out of your secure quarters so late at night." Dumbledore paused for a moment reflecting as he glanced over to Snape checking up on Serena who was awake and chatty, much to the other man's annoyance. She was saying something about missing their orchestra's meeting, who were coordinating with the frog choir but then she had a rubbish voice so they probably didn't miss her and she couldn't play, she had too clumsy of fingers, even if they were played by magical twists of her wand. A pleased smile crossed Dumbledore's lips. "Suppose the safest place you can be is under his observation."

Harry blanched at the idea, he still couldn't understand why Dumbledore put so much faith into Snape's hands. Though in this case he had to give Snape a little credit. "I guess we owe him a debt of gratitude, his potion managed to ward off the illness if not remove it completely." He knew Dumbledore suspected something else was going on, just as the two on the other side of the room did, but there was a fifth wheel in the room that didn't need to know anything.

Dumbledore nodded. "I shall leave you to it, but I suspect that she'll be returning to class tomorrow if not earlier. Best you run along Harry and get ready."

Harry didn't want to leave without Serena, whenever he left she seemed to get hurt or seriously ill and it was a strange irrationality that lead him to believe that if he was around, she would be all right.

Serena's eyes caught with his and she smiled knowingly. "I have a laundry list of things I need to get done before I can even contemplate returning to class but I'll probably be done by lunch. I'll at least join up with everyone there."

Harry nodded, his green eyes sliding over her face once more but her color was back and she was sitting on her own. "I'll hold you to that."

"Won't disappoint."

Harry headed straight for the breakfast room snagging a few treats before heading back up to the Gryffindor tower so he could change and have a relatively quiet chat with Ron and Hermione before news spread.

"Just in time." Hermione looked pleased. "I have missed her in Astronomy, she always had such interesting insights... or the strangest comments, depending on which way you look at it. At least she isn't blathering on about death in tea leaves or in this case death written in the stars."

"Jeez Hermione just how many classes _are _you taking? I dropped divination this term." Ron rubbed at his stomach. "Couldn't take all the tea."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"Any other news I might have missed?" Harry switched topics onto something safer than divination or Hermione's class schedule. She got really defensive when that was brought up.

"Nothing much, just Hagrid shooing us off the grounds last night. Said it wasn't safe out there. That was strange. He's never said that without good reason before."

"All the classes have been a little squirrely this week." Harry mused. "Potions has been canceled, though probably not for much longer, DADA has gone the same way. I know why, it's just a matter of what Lupin is doing away for so long, like what _has _he been up to?"

"Can't be sure." Hermione finally ventured. "He just disappeared the other day and Snape poked his head in long enough to dismiss class. Then when I went to talk to Lupin I was met with push back spells. I don't even think he's on the property any longer. Whatever it is, I hope he's all right."

"So what are we going to do instead?" Harry clarified their plans.

"Depends whether or not its been canceled again." Hemione replied leaving Ron out of the decision making process at this time.

As it turned out, Potions was canceled but DADA wasn' was there to cover for Lupin again but his lecture was actually mildly interesting. He started out with the topic of werewolves and information people already had about them before going into the differences between those and regular wolves, transfigured people or animagi.

Harry left the class feeling a mix of feelings. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. Here, Snape was actually mildly interesting, not better than Lupin, but interesting. The class fit better between student and teacher though Snape was his usual self but couldn't just creep around the room behind the students watching and saying nothing until something went wrong. Here he had to take a more active role. It was mixed feelings because this was something Snape had always wanted and worked to get but was always passed over for, for whatever reason, and it was probably a good one too. So Harry was hoping Snape wouldn't get wish fulfillment in that way. Also Harry didn't want to see Lupin out of the job or give Snape more access to his days, especially not in something as critical as DADA.

"Wonder why Snape was here for Defence but not potions." Ron commented idly as they headed to lunch.

Hermione looked at him like it should have been obvious but Harry was having trouble piecing that together as well. She shook her head as both of them were just being dim at the moment. "Snape was obviously worrying about Serena. Now that she's better he's going to be around as well."

"What makes you think that?" Ron asked, and Harry had to admit Hermione _might _have a point there, especially after seeing for himself last night. Snape did care about Serena and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Because Serena is sitting down there with Neville and she looks absolutely normal." Hermione pointed out and Harry turned his eyes towards the professors table, Snape was talking to Dumbledore but his eyes were rivited on Serena. What was the deal there?

Harry didn't dwell on it though as Hermione and Ron beat him to join the small group and got lost in the stories they were telling while eating.

–

EAN: So I find it funny that it took me 5 days to write a word. I usually write before bed but every time I sat down to write I fell asleep instead. Whoops. I think I might be the only one entertained... hehe...

EAN2: I'm not sure why I'm saying this here, but so be it. I know Neville is supposed to be with some wack-a-doo from Hufflepuff in the books but he's going to end up with Luna Lovegood, like he did in the movies. I don't care what you think about that because there's no way a cool character like Neville ends up with anyone else but Luna who is equally cool but in her own way. Really, the one he ends up with in the books is so non-descript, I read a whole page about her and I still can't remember her name, all I remember is that she wore a pin against Harry and for Cedric in the fourth book and was friends with Justin. Joy-ness. So, not happening.


	19. Chapter 19

Year 2

Part 2

Chapter 14/19

–

"We've got a Quidditch match this weekend..." Oliver sang as Serena rose to her feet, she turned about to tell him that there was no way he could be seriously suggesting-. "Think you feel up to a practice with the team? I'm sure they could all use the practice and I'll give you one of my beaters. That should be about even, don't you think?"

"Harry's not going to be able to practice really either. Not unless I get someone on my team to be seeker and we bewitch the snitch to come back after an hour and try to get caught." Serena couldn't believe what she just said, all that was necessary was a _no_, not a qualification.

Oliver was looking pleased with himself until he was being boxed away from her. Suddenly it got darker and warmer as two large bodies found their way next to her and angled between her and the captain of the Gryffindor team. "You're not bothering her."

"She's just gotten over a serious illness."

Serena opened her mouth to speak for herself but they didn't let her get anything in as they kept talking. "She's going to come back to the common room with us after classes."

"And we're going to supply her with every comfort food and drink there is."

"Guys-"

"That way we can keep an eye on her."

"Rather than let her out into the cold with the likes of you."

"Really, I'm fine. The teachers and Madame Pomfrey wouldn't have..." They spoke without hearing her and her words dimmed to a mumble as she talked to herself. "they wouldn't have let me out if they were still worried. It's all gone." She paused a moment when there was silence and pushed her arm through for all three guys. "See, free and clear and it's been a few hours since the last of it disappeared."

They finally took heed of her words and looked at it critically but they still didn't look convinced. "We just realized how quite fragile you are." Fred finally said.

"I'm less fragile than you seem to think." Serena looked around for someone to back her up but Hermione seemed unsure and she would too with only the results known rather than cause or solution. Harry was bound to say something and he looked like he wanted to but he didn't know how and if he could.

"Still its probably better to let some time pass before you overextend yourself again." George concluded.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Fine, I have homework to catch up on anyway, unless you'd like to watch to ensure I don't get a papercut." They seemed tempted so Serena grabbed Hermione and made a run for it before they carried her up there and watched her every move. Hermione was laughing behind her. Serena said hello to the fat lady and she let Serena in without even having to say the password.

Hermione paused just inside the common room. "That's strange, she usually requires it for even the most obvious of people, Harry included. Yet you get special treatment, why's that?"

"I've chatted with the fat lady for hours before. I guess she doesn't see the need to be told the password."

"But its easy for someone to take your appearance and-"

"I'll talk to her if that's your worry." Serena soothed. "She'll ask for my password too. It's ok." She gestured to the empty table closest to the fire and Hermione and Serena studied for what seemed like hours. Some of the other Gryffindor students came in and milled about, some making loud noises, some so loud it was hard to hear each other over the racket.

Hermione glanced at her watch. "Almost time for astronomy- you don't think they'll play through their class do you?" She caught Serena's eyes and laughed at herself. "Of course they would."

The one nice thing about Astronomy being so late in the night was that they got to wear their pajamas and house coats up there and if students fell asleep the professor didn't mind, letting them sleep until class ended and the other students prodded the sleeping few downstairs. "Think we should go change and then get them on the way or vice versa?" Serena flipped the cover back over the pages of her book and was just sliding them into her bag when there was an answer for her.

McGonagall came in with her wand waving as she looked around the common room. The reds, Harry and Oliver were hot on her heels and they sought different things, four of the group came running towards the girls in the corner while the last was curious about any possible damage done. Ron stopped at Hermione while his brothers fussed over her. Harry looked left out for a moment trying to decide who he wanted to really check on while both were being smothered.

Serena fought her way free even as McGonagall said something to Harry about not rushing in like that, not until she checked it out. At the entrance Snape stood guard but he dare not step one foot in. "What's going on?"

"Dumbledore will be here soon." McGonagall announced though nobody was really listening to her.

"We came up to the house and the fat lady's painting was slashed as if some animal had gotten at it. Peeves was in the hall and he would have joined the headless ghost club if he were still alive with how hard he was chortling." Fred explained as he smoothed a hair back into place and she swatted the four hands working at her appearance.

"Peeves said it was Black trying to get in." Harry inserted quickly knowing how it was like to get between the twins.

George continued their explanation though Harry was capable of doing it too. "We thought he might be after you after-all."

"There's no solid reason he'd be after me. That's chaos theory." Serena waved it off though she meant a chaotic theory at the best translation. "Maybe he thought Harry would be in here but was rebuffed by the Fat Lady. What happens now?" She glanced to Ron who was pulling at his tie.

"The Fat Lady refuses to come back, she was apparently blubbering so hard that it was hard to make out what she was saying. I don't think she'll be back until Black is caught."

"Children, gather up your night things, all of the houses will be spending the night in the great hall until all of this is sorted." McGonagall stood guard to ensure it all transpired in an orderly fashion and that nobody got left behind.

"Black's in Hogwarts?" Serena whispered to Harry.

"How could that happen?" Hermione finished, but it wasn't Serena's line of thought. Her line of thought centered on _why _not how. She knew it was easier than most people thought. It was hard telling who knew what after walking these halls for four or more years. It was also fairly easy to get here if you could make it through the dark forest, which was the hardest part of the task. That was only if you didn't have special magic to supersede the barriers placed over the castle and the grounds. For example the elves were able to come and go as they pleased.

Crookshanks the half Kneazel padded along in front of them and Serena couldn't help but wonder if some other cats might fit in well here too. She has a family correspondence owl, she bought it for Susanna after learning about them and thought it fitting but now she wanted an animal of her own as she watched the other three with theirs. Though her relationship with the cat that her mothers kept trying to foster onto her would be a lot like Ron's and his biting rat.

It felt like all eyes were on them and Harry knew it wasn't going to be possible to sneak out of the great room and go investigate this possible attack on him. On the plus side, Serena was stuck down here with them too. "It just doesn't make any sense. I wasn't even in Gryffindor tower when it happened. He wasn't after me, I would have been an easier prey on the fields." Harry grumbled as he rolled out his bed, like Serena, preferring to do it by hand rather than a flick of the wrist.

The boys and girls were separated and they were grouped by years and houses but that just meant that there was a foot between Ron and Hermione and Serena and Harry. Everyone laid on their stomachs facing each other. A birds' eye view would see them as grids with different colors. In this case Harry and the other guys were laying on gold sheets while Serena and the girls were laying on red. There was enough room to walk between the rows after every two and four in every column. At any moment the professor could touch or grab any student physically if they were close enough.

And the teachers did use that to their advantage. McGonagall kept special attention on Harry and Serena. Snape would glance over at them on occasion also. "Well, welcome back to normality." Ron teased rolling over onto his back so he could still look up at those around him. Serena smiled at his joke and his words served as a reminder that she and Harry had been most vulnerable while she was in the hospital. Madame Pomfrey would be no trouble getting passed and Snape when he was around, which he wasn't all the time might not be such an issue to someone like Black. Or maybe he held back because of some lingering loyalty to his sister's husband.

Serena needed to find out what Black was really after. More and more she was beginning to suspect that it _wasn't _Harry or herself. She glanced over at the boy, sadness lingering in her eyes as she knew more than he suspected and quickly looked away before he could see. Black had been Harry's parents' best friend and best man. She'd garnered that from the things she overheard from several different sources, Ron's parents, the teachers, Dumbledore and Hagrid as she snuck back into the castle or down hallways she wasn't supposed to be in. Only Snape really caused her _real _trouble and he said things to her when she conned him all the time. She was a lot sneakier than Voldemort who relied on his fear tactics to get people to talk. Serena relied on her charm and general friendliness, she just talked with them and stored everything they said until things started making sense. Sometimes she cheated but usually she relied solely on that unless it was an urgently pressing matter.

Some mysteries were reveled but some were just beginning. Crookshanks headbutted her hand and Serena reached out to pet the cat who purred for a moment before crawling into Hermione's bed and curling into sleep beside the curly-haired burnette. The girls shared a smile and went back to quietly chatting with the boys. Ron's siblings were too far away but Percy and the head girl were walking the grounds with the teachers and the prefects. When Snape's eyes narrowed in on them while other students started nodding off they lowered their voices again though other groups were still awake and talking.

Similar to the previous term those that weren't seen were searching the castle and the grounds looking for Black. Serena didn't think they'd find anything and Harry wished he could scour the marauders map for him instead. Hermione agreed that it would be beneficial but it would be difficult to explain how they knew where he was. Serena didn't say much on the subject, not sure that Black was really a bad guy in all this. She knew how the ministry dealt with people, especially during the Great War, only those who had respected members stick their necks out for them were given a fair trail. Serena had seen that in the muggle world as well. It's what happened when people went from being scared to having all the power. The bullies were met with extreme responses because those scared were still frightened that the power would be taken again if given half a chance.

Besides, Black was consistently showing that he was too smart for the usual tricks and methods. He wouldn't be caught and she couldn't help but smirk at that. There was something to be said about a man who could escape his dark thoughts of death and not be eaten alive by them. It took a very strong man indeed. Other death eaters living in that place were still stuck and had no hope of escape. After Hagrid was sent there for that week, Serena had no love for it though it did its job in keeping the worst in. They just needed some place for the less crazy and dangerous too.

He was a man she wouldn't mind learning from, at least when it came to dealing with the dementors. They were putting a wrench into her activities and making it harder to come and go as she pleased, a lot of times now she had to take more risks to avoid them. Risks she rather not take and would love to find ways of removing all together once more.

It had been quiet over the last few days and they might just be waiting out her death, see if the poison took hold or moved on to another territory, probably back to London and see if they couldn't duplicate the process with their opposition there too. They wouldn't be as dumb as she was, wouldn't fall into that trap or take that risk. Which led her to wonder if her family knew and if they were waiting for an update as well. It wouldn't bode well for her, they'd refuse to let her stay or would send someone to be nearby at all times. Serena turned so she was in a similar position as Ron as her thoughts drifted to other matters and the two H names continued talking and planning. Serena couldn't see the point, things usually came to them instead of the other way around. Though on occasion they did have to use their smarts or luck in finding it.

Her eyes drifted shut before she realized her preoccupation had lulled her into sleep and she prayed the next week would go by without incident or retribution.

–

She wasn't quite as lucky as she'd hoped. She'd got called away during potions of all things the next day but thankfully suffered no consequences for her disappearance. It seemed as if things hadn't really changed between Snape and her. On a lower level it might have but on the appearance of things everything was the same. She didn't really mind that.

Serena got harped at by all four females in the house that she'd left, yes four, the fourth being that black cat that had joined them and she felt of all things like Sabrina the Teenage Witch because of it and her newest discoveries. Being twice magical was at times both a blessing and a curse depending on how someone looked at it. At times Serena thought of them both as a curse, but only at times, usually she looked on this life as a blessing as she met amazing people and oversaw strange adventures glad that she wasn't always required to be at the heart of it. She already had that problem on her hands for her own adventures that she often times faced alone.

She envied Harry for having Hermione and Ron with him but that would also be a hindrance for her and a worry she didn't need. She already worried about them when they got involved with the mysteries here at the castle. She wished she could take care of those too but they weren't her mysteries to solve and if they were she didn't have time for them. There were more pressing matters to attend to than her father's attempts at coming back to life.

That was still a big deal. Her father coming back would be horrible and she had no idea what damage he would wreak on the world around her. Or what he would want with her or how he would come at her. If the past was anything to go by she might be dead in days.

Maybe Dumbledore was right and Black was here for her, here to kill her or take her to her father's latest whereabouts. She'd either be dead or used and both weren't acceptable fates.

The weekend was quickly approaching and Oliver had her attend the practices to help give him pointers. She kept telling him she'd be rubbish at that type of thing and he practically put her on a broom to play against the whole team. She looked at him like he was crazy but he didn't let her get off of the broom, he used some kind of sticking spell to keep her seated. "You know this is really dangerous, right?" She had the quaffle in her hands.

"I'll let you off of it if you win." Which she did and he still didn't let her off. "Ok fine, if we win without you throwing the game. I _promise_."

"Why are you making me play?" Serena asked as she avoided a bludger and glared at Fred who smiled sheepishly. "I thought you were on my side!"

"Only when you don't demolish my whole team!"

Serena rolled her eyes and scored a goal flying around Oliver and waiting for his response. "This is exactly why." He was breathing pretty hard and Serena laughed. "It'll make us faster at least."

"What if I just slowed it down a little? Give you a chance to win?" Harry was playing keeper for her team since they didn't want to deal with the snitch and really this would give him practice going after things too. He had only the one to really worry about as Serena kept stealing the other.

"Nope. And don't you dare ever try to put this skill into effect and become a thief. It wouldn't be fair." In truth her dodging ability was her own, her stealth was borrowed. Again she wondered if she'd pressed anything onto him, if he were alive, he wasn't the Queen's child. There might not have been a reason or capability to return him to the living. The outers were only here because they weren't part of the final battle. They had still been living when the Queen interfered with the natural order of things and sent her daughter to be reborn.

And the cat... well she was a pain in Serena's rear but she'd never died and had an _extremely _long lifespan, even if she'd been sleeping most of it. Serena almost chuckled at the thought, such a cat.

Serena blinked rapidly as a flash went off in front of her eyes and when the lights cleared she saw Collin standing there with camera in hand. "Still with the camera?" Harry asked rubbing his eyes. Serena was glad that Colin still liked Harry and didn't just fade into the woodwork after the first initial greeting. Though the others might have faded away because they'd learned that where Harry was there was sure to be trouble brewing. But perhaps that's why they were all in Gryffindor, they were too stupid to walk away and instead called it bravery.

"It saved my life."

"It wouldn't have had to if you weren't following Harry around like a personal paparazzi." Serena teased taking the ball that Harry just caught out of his hands. "Harry's not Lockehart, he doesn't like his picture taken all the time."

"No, but I like to take pictures and I like to take pictures of Harry in particular." Colin defended himself. "If I hadn't learned I was magical I would have gone on to media or reporting. As it is, I might take up the special poaching letter I got from the Magical Drama School."

Serena and Harry both looked bemused. "I didn't know they even had those."

"Of course they do." Ron swept by trying to take the ball from Serena. "We just get it in a slightly different way. We actually have to leave our houses to see it." Ron caught another ball but when he threw it towards Harry it was blocked while Serena used that distraction to go after Oliver.

Serena and Harry were unique, everyone just kind of assumed that they knew all about the wizarding world. Whereas in fact they were even more clueless about this than muggles were. At least when a muggle was handed their letter it was after a nice friendly sitdown with a Hogwarts representative who explained any and all to them. Since Harry and Serena were both wizard born they were expected to know of the school and the future letter with their school supplies since day one. They didn't get that special treatment, or at least Serena didn't and Harry only got the crash course by Hagrid. So the two of them seemed to always be playing catchup while the rest of the students started out a step ahead of them and kept moving forward while Harry and Serena were just learning what they were moving on from. Even with the truth reveled nobody thought to sit them down and explain everything.

"I hope you well, whatever it is you decide to do."

"There's a lot that goes into a decision like that." Colin agreed. "I have to weigh the pros and cons of leaving Hogwarts. Right now I'm thinking there's more cons but that's what I might want to do eventually."

"That's great Colin, really." Ron weaved around some of the fliers on the field and managed to avoid the bludgers as well. Serena had slowed down so she could talk to Colin and now she yawned in boredom and being tired.

She was surprised she was even let out onto the field the way Fred and George had been watching her every step over the last week. George caught sight of the yawn and called a halt to practice. "Time to quit."

Ron protested but Serena returned to her feet and carried the borrowed broom back to the shed before any of the others followed suit. Oliver had released her as soon as George stopped the game. "It's quite enough, the points will never be regained." Serena pointed out when she came back and Ron was still protesting to Oliver. Oliver reluctantly bent to Serena's logic and agreed though he would be out there all night if he could. He was building up his resistance to sleep deprivation so he could go pro and stay awake for months on end. Serena tried to hide the next yawn as she thought about such a thing, she wouldn't survive, twenty-four hours and she was ready to either collapse where she stood or snap someone's head off. Neither sounded like a pleasant situation nor the consequences.

Serena bit back a groan as she realized she couldn't go back with them. She hung back waiting as they all passed her slower steps and when Harry and Ron drew level they were too busy talking to notice her turn once they got ahead of her too.

Harry looked around once they were inside to ask Serena a question but the blond had disappeared. Anyone would think she made a habit of stealing his cloak but he knew better. He continued talking so he wouldn't draw the others' attention to her absence but he would need to talk to her. Thankfully she wasn't the only female in the group and it was too big for most to notice.

He spent the night studying the map, looking to see if he could spot her return. Instead he saw instructors and students alike milling about before they all settled down. Or at least most of them. He began to wonder when Snape and Dumbledore slept. When his eyes kept closing for longer intervals he gave up on cornering Serena and crawled into bed so he would be well rested for the game in the morning.

Harry closed it down moments before Serena returned but even if he was looking at it he probably wouldn't have recognized what he was seeing because her name didn't appear as it had before.

–

The game was a disaster. It would have been one thing if they had a night game but this was making it near impossible to see. Storm clouds built and brimmed but they didn't let their silky tears fall. It was that odd season between winter and spring and even snow or sleet would have been better than this. Lights, even magical lights, couldn't penetrate the gloom that clung to every inch of their sky.

Gryffindor was down, their practice had opened their eyes and stretched their training but it also taxed their muscles. Had there been one more day between and there wouldn't have been any issues. The only thing that could possibly help their team was if Harry could get the snitch soon and then they might just slip pass a tie.

All too soon Hufflepuff's score outweighed Gryffindor that it was now better to hold off on catching the snitch or catching it to put an end to their misery. They might lose the game but at least they wouldn't be so far behind in overall points.

Harry weighed his options and concluded that it was probably better just to catch the snitch. He went for higher ground hoping that he could get above the cloud line and see _something_. And wouldn't he know it?

He did.

He saw that blasted grim appear once more. He knew it wasn't a self-fulfilling prophecy, he had been seeing dark, shaggy, seen better days dog for weeks before Trewlany said anything to him. Now he knew that he wasn't hallucinating, the dog was in the clouds. Well maybe for a first time it _was _a hallucination. He couldn't help but stare, the game below him no longer mattered quite as much. At least it didn't until he felt the touch of wings brush against his cheek and his eyes flickered that way to see the golden glint of the snitch before it darted away from him. Harry went after it, got higher and higher in the air, reaching- so close-

Black shrouded his vision and for a moment he thought he flew into a thunder cloud by accident. It would be difficult to navigate back out of there safely. His worries though were for naught because he wasn't inside a black cloud, rather he was surrounded by the color.

Harry darted as fast as he could through any opening he saw. He was fast on his nimbus 2000 but not as fast as the dementors. The best bet he would have to survive this was to outwit them and twist enough to avoid and get back to relative safety.

As best as he tried he was constantly forced to higher ground. Then all of a sudden his flying changed drastically. He was floating but he wasn't, he was going too fast for that. It didn't matter, he blacked out anyway, hearing a scream follow him into the darkness or did it steam from there?

–

Harry woke with a start to find his friends around him and other members of the school in the medical facility. It was telling but the only person not surrounding him was Serena. He almost said something to the like when Hermione shifted and said something first.

"She was our first indicator that something was wrong." There behind Hermione was Serena, her head was propped up on Fred's shoulder while George helped keep her steady, a bit of an overkill, she wasn't going anywhere. "She's woken up somewhat but we're still waiting on some chocolate. She wasn't needed in the infirmary status because she toppled onto Snape and so didn't get hurt like the others."

"What were you doing near Snape?" That was the teachers' box and as best he knew the only students allowed over there were heads or commentators.

"I was on the verge of telling the professors that something was wrong when I felt myself grow weak and absent from my body. I threw a hand out to steady myself on McGonagall's shoulder but it didn't work and here I am."

"I'm sure Snape loved that. Instant blond." Ron teased and tried to topple her over again but he wasn't in the best angle to succeed.

Serena closed her eyes and the images that they always brought up met her at the back of her eyelids. Anytime it was dark now the memory would be a neon picture lighting up part of the room, the part that got attention.

"You should probably rest for awhile too, at least until they get some chocolate here." Harry suggested.

"Oh we told her that same thing but she insisted on waiting by your bed until you were awake." George explained. "Perhaps now that you are she'll go up?"

"Nope." Serena responded trying to put more energy into her voice than she felt. It made it to halfway her usual self which was a thousand times more peppy than he was feeling right now. "I should really start carrying chocolate." She hummed a bit on that thought but Harry laughed at her.

"The chocolate would never last for these rare occasions."

Her nose wrinkled. "Maybe if I buried it low in the bag and forgot about it...?"

"I'd probably eat it." Ron added and the others laughed. "If the twins didn't get it first." He clarified but they had already moved on passed the joke.

"What were they doing so close to the school?" Ginny asked with a shiver. Harry turned his gaze onto the redheaded youngest and smiled at her reassuringly, not knowing the answer himself, but wanting to comfort her. She noticed and a small smile bloomed in response.

"That my dear girl is an excellent question." Dumbledore made his attention known with aplomb and sat on the foot of the bed. "I can assure all of you that I have had a word with the ministry about this. They're going to do the job for Blackif they don't keep a handle on the dementors. The teachers and I have taken the necessary methods to push them back once more. I don't think we'll be having any more issues with Dementors on the grounds."

"Why were they here in the first place?" Hermione questioned.

"I suspect it is because news has gotten out that Sirius Black has been on Hogwarts' grounds. However I do not think we have anything to fear of a repeat incident." Dumbledore held Harry's gaze. "I just wanted to reassure all of you that are affected by them that it will not happen again. I would also like to extend my warning to the two of you beyond wandering off on your own, I advise you _not _to go looking for trouble." His gaze glanced quickly over to Serena and then back again to Harry. The two nodded but couldn't see any reason why they'd go after Sirius themselves. "Good." He patted Harry on the shin and stood up. "I shall be seeing you around." Dumbledore went around the hospital wing making his rounds to talk to all of the other students as well but he didn't spend nearly as much time with them.

"What happened?" Harry turned to look at his three closest friends.

"What do you mean? You know what happened, we were just talking about it-" Ron started but Harry shook his head to cut him off.

"I meant with the game."

"Oh." Hermione stared at her knees as she spoke. "There was really nothing to be done. Hufflepuff was up too high anyways to win the game. Cedric caught the snitch." There was that name again. Harry would have to look into why he was so popular. "And your broom... well... when you fell it went flying off into the grounds and..."

"It got smashed by the Whomping Willow." Ron placed the pieces that they'd managed to get on Harry's lap. "Sorry Harry."

Harry picked up the pieces there was no way to fix this, it was too broken and in too fine of pieces. Serena scratched her head. "I'm sure I'm somehow to blame for all of this or at least my biological father and there might be a Gringotts bank account... maybe I could get some money out to replace it for you."

"Why would Voldemort keep his money in Gringotts?" Ron shook his head. "Can you envision the Dark Lord walking into the bank to get some more money out to finance his tyranny? Thought not."

Serena lifted a brow and Ron looked unsure for a moment as if he wasn't positive if he was in the right. "Why not? The rest seem to and he does come from an old family, at least on his mother's side. There's no reason to believe_ they_ wouldn't have put some money in there for yet another place of safekeeping."

It was hard to argue with that logic, but Harry shook his head anyway but for a different reason. "Anyway unless that money is spent on Wizard-equivalent of charity I see absolutely no reason to touch his ill gotten gains."

"But it wasn't all from him, his money would go back generations and not all of them were _bad._" They all just had Slytherin blood in them. But she had it too so it just proved her point even if it wasn't all so neatly tied together like that. "I could take some off the pile of my great-grandfather's estate or further back. Voldemort didn't have access to it until later in life."

"Forget it. Buy me something useful with it if you have to use it. I don't want anything to be contaminated by him but I can also concede your point of 'getting him back' in the most mundane of ways, of course."

Serena nodded. "Though I think a broom is something useful."

"I'll just borrow for the last game and get a new one over the summer when we go shopping for next year's school supplies."

"If you can leave the house, not to mention the fact that you can Owl order your broom, you don't even have to leave the house to look for one." Ginny pipped in and the others groaned.

"Half the fun is looking at the different sorts and finding the best fit." Harry covered not wanting the others to rag on Ginny too hard for speaking only the truth. Though that didn't hold true for his first broom, that had been a gift too. "Either way it doesn't matter. I'm going to wait on getting a new one. It's not like the older brooms will slow me down too much in search for the snitch." The way this year was going it would be a surprise if he managed to survive the next game.

They stayed with him for a while longer but soon they were all shuffled out and those that had fallen in some way during the game stayed the night just to make sure there weren't any residual injuries. Harry groaned as he realized he still had a werewolf paper to write. At least the topic was interesting but he personally thought the topic was better suited for magical creatures not DADA.

Harry was just about to fall asleep when he overheard Fudge in the hallway. What was the minister doing here? "Are you sure it is wise to let the boy sleep in such a vulnerable location?"

"The hospital is as secure as his dormitory, I assure you." Madame Pomfrey sounded defensive. "Why are you so worried about this now? He has spent many nights here in the past."

"It's just-" The door opened and Fudge peeked his head in to check and make sure nobody overheard. Harry pretended to be asleep and the door shut again. Fudge thought his voice was low enough to be muffled by the door but Harry heard clearly in the quiet of the room. "Well there's a history here that not everyone knows."

McGonagall's voice joined in. "It is a sad story, one that must never get back to Harry."

"All right, he won't hear it from me." Pomfrey's voice was urging them to continue.

"Black was the Potters' secret-keeper, their location would never be revealed, no matter how much torture the owner of the secrets went through if they were loyal to them. He was secretly working for Voldemort and thus never underwent torture. His revelation of their location ended with their deaths, and Voldemort's. Once he died, Black went crazy, I'm sure he would have finished Harry off right then and there if he hadn't already been moved. Black went on a killing spree and created a huge bomb which killed several muggles and killed poor Peter Pettigrew. All that was left of the boy was one finger. Black really did a number on those he once called friends."

"His betrayal lead not only to Lily and James' death but also Peter's. I don't understand how Black could betray three of his close friends like that." Fudge continued where McGonagall left off.

Pomfrey gasped and offered some words of tragic remorse before following it up with a question. "Now you believe he's broken out to finish the job? Now that he realizes Harry is here, where he knows how to get to?"

"I'm afraid so." Fudge's voice dropped to a grave answer. "As you can see the security is necessary."

"I'm just not a huge fan of how close they get to the children." Pomfrey sounded less sympathetic again and McGonagall's comment was in agreement.

Harry felt like he was sinking into his bed as the ramifications hit him. Black was his parents' _friend_ and he betrayed them! The man that escaped and was stalking him was someone who knew his parents well and had been trusted to protect them. Instead he basically had them killed! Harry curled into a ball and silently let the anger and sadness wash over him and out. Fresh grief wracked his body as he muffled his sounds in the pillow that soon got soaked and uncomfortable to use. If he ever got his hands on Black he'd make him pay for ruining his family life.

"What about the girl? How _does _she tie into all of this? Beyond the obvious." Pomfrey asked as they walked away and Harry tried to hang onto the conversation as he recognized they were talking about Serena. He never got the response to the question as they went out of earshot. He wished he had Fred and George's bag of gags because he knew he saw a pair of ears in there, or maybe they were just George's.

Harry's thoughts shifted violently away from Serena because until he knew what role she had to play here, she was out of the equation. He had bigger things to worry about.

–

EAN: There were a few comments in Serena's point of view that weren't actually her _real _thoughts on the matter, just a bit of self-mockery/teasing. One comment in particular about bravery actually was an homage to a Harry Potter spoof. I can't recall if it was the Very Potter something or other or another spoof in general. It was thrown in there as a joke for any who knew the skits. It's also, and this is why I like it, it's an acknowledgment towards the fic by... oh can't think of it now, but Harry's adopted by Lockehart and ends up in Syltherin. Which I think is absolutely brilliant while written after my fic was started I read it before starting into this chapter (months before). I'm also evil if you haven't realized it yet, I'm just not telling why if you didn't catch it.

EAN2: I wanted to _read _a good Harry Potter/Sailor Moon crossover and after sorting through the first page of options out of 155 stories, I came to the conclusion that it probably won't happen, or at least it won't have a good summary. Anyway I did come across one about Draco and SM, and if I had a desire it did create a new idea for me. Let me lay it out for you here. Draco is actually Demando, just after Voldemort's resurgence and second defeat. Something messed with Draco's mind and he somehow gets a time travel device and goes after Moon...They were about the same time if you look at actual dates for these things. Harry was in the 90s and so was SM. It's not going to work but somehow I must be trying to tie Demando into this world because earlier I was thinking Regulus (sp?) would be a great Sapphire. But that would make Sirius Demando and I don't see that happening. And btw this is not something I'm seriously considering and if I were it would be in a different story. Nobody in this one is secretly disguised as someone else, well, except for some polyjuice potion I guess, but that's to be expected.


	20. Chapter 20

Year 2

Part 2

Chapter 15/20

Harry and Ron went back to the house and found Neville standing outside of it. Sir Cadogan was trying to get Neville to duel for the newest password. "I'd duel you but then you'd have to go hide out in another painting like the fat lady." Ron shook his fist at the man in armor and Harry gave a small laugh at the image. At least with the new wand Ron had a sporting chance.

Ron sent him a glare over his shoulder but otherwise seemed impervious to Harry's amusement. Neville was looking relived that he didn't have to deal with this on his own. "Oh all right, the new password is... I dare say I can't remember what I've been telling the other children. It doesn't matter I'll remember when I hear it. Your password will be Smorgasbords love peccadilloes."

"It'd be easier to remember if I knew what those words meant." Ron grumbled.

Arms draped around Ron's neck and Serena soon followed over his shoulder and hung there somehow weightless as she teased him. "Love is what you feel for someone you really care about. Know anybody like that?"

"Sure I do." Ron was blushing and pushed her gently away before scratching at his ear. "I have lots of people I love, its the other words I didn't know."

"Oh. Well I guess you don't use them very often here." Serena shrugged and gave the old new password. "I'll remember the new one, don't you worry Sir." She gave him a salute, but American-style and walked passed him into the house common room.

"Are you going to tell us what they mean?" Ron continued after her thinking she was picking up some of Hermione's bad traits.

Serena plunk down on a couch and smiled at him. "Sure I will. It's kind of like a feast or a whole bunch of things, doesn't have to be food. I don't know what the other means."

"The other one means mischief. So kind of like feasts love mischief." Hermione appeared out of know where, scarring all but Serena who had seen her come in.

"Your mom uses words like that?" For some reason Harry could not see Harley talking like that and he got a pillow thrown into his face.

"No, I watched a lot of American TV between moves. I only knew the first because it was used frequently enough that I had to ask. Otherwise I wouldn't know that one either."

Hermione turned to Harry, it had been a week since the the flying incident and she wanted to know how things were going with Lupin, it was the only thing that took Harry's mind off of Black these days. Serena had stood up and moved over to a table across the room, curious about something. There were some other students milling about but nobody would touch it, suppose it was causing some commotion but Harry wasn't interested.

"Well I've gotten some success but that's only with the memories of leaving Privet Drive and coming here. I guess I don't have strong enough memories to make it work." Or he didn't want to stop hearing the woman, he mostly heard her scream but sometimes he could catch words, faint but they were there. He shook his head out of thoughts like that. "Hey Serena, you should come down and practice with me, it might be good for you too."

"Oh, well I have my own way around them now..." Serena came back carrying a package that was almost longer than she was tall. "Harry this is for you." She laid it across his lap. "I swear I didn't have anything to do with it."

Harry tore open the package and there inside was a beautiful broom. Not only did it look pretty but it was the best broom on the market, even custom-made brooms didn't compare. As he looked at it he found that it _was _custom-made but with the core of it still being that very same broomstick. "A firebolt." Awe echoed through the room and Hermione stood up quickly and grabbed it up with the paper and darted for the door.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled after her. "Where are you going? Bring it back!" But she was too far and surprisingly too quick to catch. Ron didn't bother chasing her once he lost sight of her. "Well that was weird."

"Sorry about your 'stick Harry." Seamus said looking as perplexed as the rest of them. "Oi, Serena there's a package for you too."

Serena must have missed this owl delivery or it had been sent special for the two of them. She wondered if her parents had gotten involved after she told them, but they'd never gotten her a broomstick. Maybe she _should _get one, she liked to fly well enough. She opened the package and it revealed something a lot smaller than a broomstick. "What is it?" Harry asked still looking at the door waiting for Hermione to return as if it was a joke but that wasn't her style.

"It's- It's..." Serena gathered it close and held on tight. "Nothing to worry about." Her voice sounded scratchy to her own ears. If she wasn't careful she was on the verge of crying and she was trying very hard to hold it back so as not to alarm everyone in the room. Oh and they would go _nuts_ if they caught her doing that. She wasn't letting go of this if she had her way of things. It was going to go around her neck and stay there.

It didn't mean anything to anyone just looking at it and it didn't mean anything to her family but it somehow meant a lot to her without her even knowing it would. Someone knew her well, better than she knew herself. It was just a tiny little trinket. Ron managed to catch a glimpse of it. "What's the watery eyes for? It's just a dog."

"I... I can't explain, it just hit me for some reason." The dog was playing, it was on its hindquarters and playfully batting at something the viewer couldn't see. Serena understood it but couldn't say anything, not yet. This did solve another piece of the mystery for her though.

Hermione came back just then without the broom and Serena stuffed it into her pocket and sat on the paper wrapping it came in. This wouldn't be taken away from her. "What did you do with the broomstick?" Ron asked before anyone else could get a word out.

"I took it to Professor McGonagall. It could be dangerous to touch it much less fly it without properly checking it over for possible jinx or poisons attached to it."

"Why'd you have to go and do that?" Ron pushed to his feet angry and Harry was feeling a little that way himself.

"It might have come from Black." Hermione countered. "It's better to get it checked out now rather than have Harry ride it and get seriously hurt or even killed."

"Well Serena's got-" Ron started in but Serena jumped to her feet cutting him off. Friends meant well and all but there was no way this was leaving her sight.

"It's from my moms." Serena hurried to explain. "I forgot I asked for it. They went above and beyond. I never imagined..." Serena shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to bed." What she really wanted to do was go talk to Lupin, he was always reassuring to both her and Harry, always had a wise answer. She wondered if that came with age or if he was always wiser than others in his class. Or at least knew the right thing to say.

Harry sat back in his chair glaring at Hermione. "Well I only did it for his own good." Hermione huffed and half turned away. "I've got far too much homework to bother sitting your sulks." Then she was walking away as well, to where, nobody could know for- probably the library.

"Well if that doesn't beat all." Ron grumbled and turned to his chess board sitting out, he forgot to put it away last night and worked on it now.

"Leave it." Harry sat across from him. "I could use a distraction."

–

To beat the boredom one night after several attempts at creating a patronus, much less a strong enough light to beat the dementors away, and learning that the only people who knew what they looked like were ones who had been kissed and thus no longer _really _living, Harry needed a break from Lupin and vice versa perhaps. He was a kind man, a smart man, a wise and clever man who only really came alive when he was teaching. The rest of the time Professor Lupin walked and talked as if something heavy was weighing him down. He seemed so old for only being 36 years old. Harry didn't know many people in that age group, the only other person he knew was Petunia and she was a decade older than Lily, so it seemed normal for her to be so old. Lupin was about the same age as his mother would have been, same age as his father too... He knew that Lupin knew Lily, spoke well of her often and reminisced that Harry had her green eyes and her kindness within them too. He didn't speak of James. Why didn't he speak of his father? Surely if he was that close with Lily and knew Snape so well as to trade barbs with no hint of fear surely, _surely_... But then again he didn't know everyone in his class or even his house. He knew most but there were some that didn't stick out or he just wasn't close to, he knew of but didn't talk to at all.

He wished he could ask more questions about back then but how accurate could his opinions and thoughts be if he was part of it? He wasn't looking down at himself and the others with age and a kind humor to carry him along, he had been in the thick of things. Maybe it meant that he just didn't know. Hagrid might, he'd been the grounds keeper then. Dumbledore would too, he was a professor or even the headmaster back then, but would he have known James and Lily all that well? They would have just been one more student to pass through his halls, not really all that important until they had him. But Dumbledore did know a lot. Knew a lot about a fair amount of the students here that he couldn't have known by casual observance.

Perhaps he _would _have known his father, especially if he was as much of a troublemaker as Snape said he was. If he could believe anything that Snape said. He was trying to poison Lupin, so nothing he could say could be taken at face value.

He'd said something along these lines to Serena once and she'd snorted. "Haven't you learned yet that he _can _be trusted? You just have to put your faith in him and present yourself clearly."

"Perhaps _you _can get him to trust you but you have faith in everyone, whether or not they deserve it. No one is bad in your eyes."

"Not everyone." She responded quietly, thinking inwardly, and he wondered who she was thinking of. "At one time that might have been true but I've learned from my erroneous thoughts."

He'd believe that the day she didn't give a new person a chance, at least one, if not ten. "You can say that all you want but I know the real you."

At any rate Harry and Serena were both heading down to Hagrid's hut. They hadn't done that for awhile and both Ron and Hermione were with, they made up after about two days of huffs. Harry had gotten over it a little slower, but he did as well. His eye was caught by the glint of Serena's necklace and for the first time he saw the dog hanging on the end of the chain. "That's just like the grim I saw in my cup, and the dog I saw when we were first in Hogsmead. I even saw it when I fell from my broom. Serena-" Harry halted while the other two kept going, too far ahead to overhear them. Serena slowed down as well. "Whenever I see that dog, bad things soon follow."

Serena's hand closed over the necklace and shoved it back down her shirt. The days were warmer now and so she no longer needed a scarf, which would have kept it hidden better. "Now you don't see it." She wasn't at fault for those things, she hadn't even gotten the trinket until the other day. She didn't have the ability to project images, that wasn't a skill she possessed.

"Still I've seen it now and..."

"And nothing, it was just a necklace. You saw the grim in your cup but nothing bad happened then, did it?"

He couldn't say for sure but the other two times he saw it he was practically attacked by Dementors. He begrudgingly let it slide. "All right, perhaps your right."

Serena nodded and gave a small twirl. "I love nights like tonight. Nothing bad happens when the moon is full. Its the one time of the month I can relax."

"Did you forget about werewolves so quickly Serena?" Hermione asked, backtracking to them once she noticed they weren't behind her. Ron stayed where she left him a few meters away. "They come out when the moon is full."

"There aren't any here. The woods might be home to many strange and magical creatures, many of which are possibly dangerous, but here are no werewolves in it. Besides, they won't harm me."

"Werewolves aren't like the other creatures." Hermione started to argue. "They lose all sense of themselves, they're not human and they're not animal."

"But they are." Serena shook her head giving Hermione a smile. "They become hunters, that's true. But they're not human, they lose that so they _are _animals, animals that have a bite to turn you into one but since they are born of the moon, they will not harm me."

Hermione frowned wondering what on Earth that could mean while Harry wondered why Serena was opening up now of all times about the secrets she held. She seemed to come to the realization of what she said as well. "Forgive me, things come out of my mouth when the moon is full that I don't always intend to say. Must be the strange effects muggles claim to explain the rash amount of violence that occurs at the time. That and Friday the 13th."

"Werewolves." Hermione commented and continued on. "I still say you're not immune to them."

"We shall see." Serena danced behind Hermione as she headed to the hut with the rest. "I've never met one to put the theory to the test." She raised a brow at the brunette who opened her mouth to say something. "As a werewolf at least. I'm sure there have been plenty I've passed and did not realize."

Hermione smiled back and Harry wondered what that was about, this time he was completely in the dark. At least he could comfort himself with the knowledge that Ron seemed oblivious to all of it. Ron was making a face though. "I've met one. Not as a were, no, but he was as close to it as any human could be, it seemed as if he embraced it. Tried biting me too when he was human."

"Who was that?" Serena danced around the three of them. She really was happy.

"Fenin." Again the fact that Ron grew up in this world was aiding him, at least giving him an advantage over Hermione in knowing other wizards and witches, even obscure ones or ones that weren't famous or written about, like this Fenin.

It might not have been strange, Harry wasn't sure if he would have been interested in magic if it was common place for him, but it was curious how it worked out. As far as he knew Ron was the only pure-blooded wizard. Hermione was muggle-born, he was the son of a pure-blooded wizard but a muggle-born mother and Serena well, the only thing completely factual about her life was that her father was a half-blood with pure lines going way back. She could be less of a pure-blood than himself but with Voldemort's drive in cleansing the community, he doubted he'd shack up with any old muggle or muggle born.

How was she related to Malfoy then? He was her cousin but that could mean a number of things. Did Malfoy senior have a sister? Or was it Narcissica's sister? Did she have one? Hermione would know. He noted that he should talk to her about it later. Right now they were going to go entertain Hagrid. Maybe the other way around, Harry thought with a smile.

It didn't turn out exactly how he had envisioned.

Hagrid greeted them with great blubbering sobs. It took them a long time to get him to settle down and make sense of things. When they finally got him calmer he was still crying between comments. "Ter gunna fry im!"

"What are you talking about?" Serena leaned over the table with both hands planted.

"Buckbeak. Ter gunna have a trial next week and yous just know Buckbeak will lose, even if Dumbledore gets involved."

"Maybe not." Serena countered softly. "Maybe there will be a way around it."

"No." Hagrid used one of his meaty hands to wipe at his eyes. "Nobody will listen to an animal."

"We'll try to help best we can." Hermione placed a hand over Hagrid's and it looked like an ant near its ant hill.

"Yeah, it's not over until the fat lady sings." Ron piped in with full cheer and determination. "And she's not trying to sing any time soon. Too much attention would be drawn to her then."

They all laughed and Hagrid wiped the remainder of his tears away. "That's very nice of all of you. I appreciate it, but speaking of Black, Harry you know better than to be wandering around these grounds on your own at night."

"I'm not alone." He gestured to the other three with them and Hagrid shook his head sadly.

"You know what'er mean. At night yer to be with a professor if not in yer house. Not that it do you much good. Black destroyed an entire neighborhood of muggles to get Pettigrew. Poor boy did nuting to deserve that."

"Thanks Hagrid, I'll keep that in mind." Harry responded dryly.

Hagrid ran a hand down his beard as he looked at each of them in turn, knowing he'd said something wrong but not being totally apologetic for it. "Yer know its probably best if I walk yous back. I would hate it if something happened on my watch."

"But wouldn't Black know all about you?" Hermione asked, worrying about Hagrid as well.

"Yes but for whatever reason he never gave me a hard time." Hagrid gave them a lopsided smile. "Got some kind of charm on tems."

Harry figured nobody gave him a hard time because he was so big hearted and that it wasn't really his fault he was half-giant. That was probably something nobody really saw coming. He felt back for whoever his mother was. It must have shown on his face because Hagrid's words followed his thoughts.

"Me mum was the giant." Hagrid laughed. "Didn't even know she was pregnant when she had me. Just thought she was gaining a little weight. Left me dah some short years later." Hagrid shrugged as if it didn't matter but all there knew there was more to the story than that. "Anyway I think Black's always been scared of me. Got some height on im."

"All right Hagrid." Ron agreed knowing from experience with Hagrid and Fang that they might look tough but that might be all that was needed. When the Harry and Hermione gave him a look, he shrugged, if Black was strong enough to destroy a neighborhood of muggles then he would probably take Hagrid out by accident anyway on their walk back. Might as well go down together so Hagrid wouldn't have to go by himself.

Harry glanced over at Serena who was surprisingly quiet the whole time since they entered his hut. Her earlier jubilation over the monthly cycle waned considerably. She was just standing by the window with her arms crossed and staring out at it. Hermione followed his line of vision and a sympathetic look crossed her features. She put her hand on Harry's shoulder to draw his attention away from the blond. Hagrid was ready to take them back. He sighed and turned, following after.

Ron paused in the doorway. "Aren't you coming Serena?"

When she turned to look at them it was an eerie sight. The moon chose that moment to shine down through the window and cast her in a pale white glow. Harry had to blink to clear the image and for a moment there he thought he saw another woman in her place, one that might look somewhat like her but everything was different. She smiled sadly and moved away from her perch. The more steps towards them the more vivid she became and her personality picked up again as well. The smile turned from sad to her usual warmth infused look and she wrapped her arm through Ron's. "I guess it's back to another typical night. Off to the house common room and some homework and then off for bed."

"Maybe a quick jaunt to the library." Hermione commented from ahead of the two, Harry lagged behind slightly to watch and observe. "I'm wondering if we can find a precedent for Buckbeak to fight this trial. When will we know the results again, Hagrid?"

"Within the month." Hagrid answered but he was looking around the grounds on high alert. Everyone chatted on the way back and got Hagrid laughing again but when he stopped at the doors he leaned down and whispered something into Serena's ear. She stepped back to look at him in surprise and he nodded. She gave a short nod with her arms crossed over her chest looking none too happy about whatever he might have said.

On the way up the stairs and back to the common room Ron tried questioning her about it but Serena wouldn't budge.

Later, when homework was finished Harry sat back in his chair and the room was quieter at this time of night. "What were you thinking about when we were at Hagrid's hut?"

Serena took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I was thinking about Buckbeak and about death. I want to do something for them but whenever I get involved, especially with the ministry, I seem to cause it rather than stop it."

"It's not your fault, it's Malfoy's."

Serena drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them giving Harry a knowing smile. She didn't seem as sad as she had before. "It's not Draco's. It was taken out of his hands as soon as Lucius got involved. Even if Draco wanted to stop it, his father wouldn't listen."

"Lucius is your uncle." Harry argued. "Why wouldn't he listen to you?"

"I'm afraid I haven't made myself very welcomed in his eyes. He only cares about my connection to Voldemort and what I could possibly do to him. Since I haven't proven myself particularly malicious he doesn't worry about what I say. If Voldemort were to return, perhaps it might be different if my blood relative wanted me alive and tried to protect me." Serena gave a slight shrug. "Since that doesn't seem to be his purpose in life, I think Lucius prefers to treat me like he treats you. The only difference is, he won't let any physical harm come to me. Or I suppose metaphysically either."

"So no Dementors kiss for you?" Harry teased as he played with the trim of his robe.

"No, I suppose not. That might hamper whatever it is Voldemort wants with me." Serena rolled her eyes. "I might be better of with the kiss than suffer any fate he plans."

"Don't speak like that." Harry shuddered. "I heard they have the right to administer it to Black the second they find him and I wouldn't even wish it onto him."

Serena's lips twisted as if she wanted to say something and it looked like that part of her won out. She wasn't going to and Harry wanted to pry, start to open his mouth to do so when Serena blurted it out. "Not everything is how it appears Harry. Keep an open mind, wouldn't you?"

"About Black or the kiss?" Harry countered.

Serena rested her chin on her knees and looked at him, really looked at him before she answered. "About Black."

"What do you know about him?" Harry prodded, wanting to know more.

"Nothing concrete, just what I could overhear or read or garner from hearsay and putting complex puzzle pieces together. I might be completely off base with what image I created because I'm not the smartest person but it feels right and my feelings have hardly led me astray."

"What do your feelings say?" Harry questioned and Serena shrugged.

"It's hard to put into words that you'd understand logically. Feelings and logic don't always mix but one could be right while the other is wrong or both could be right or both wrong."

"You're so... enigmatic." Harry moved over to the couch she sat on and collapsed into it. "Could you at least try and explain it to me?"

"It's similar to how I feel about Snape and you don't want to hear about that, do you? Or Draco."

"Can't you care for people in our own house?" Harry groaned. "Like Neville or Seamus or even some of the girls I might not care for but at least share our space?"

Serena giggled. "I could but there's no fun in picking out the easy. I like all walks of life."

"And here I thought you said you weren't the trusting one you were before. That you wouldn't give people second chances anymore."

Serena's smile widened. "They haven't broken my trust the first time yet. Not really at least."

"Fine, as long as you don't become buddy-buddy with Cedric the Hufflepuff or Dudley I'll accept your friendships with people I'd rather smack with a ten-foot pole." Another laugh and Harry couldn't help but smile. She made it seem all so easy, that if he could just put aside his grudges that he could be friends with these people and if he could build their trust in return they could put aside their grudges and cruelty. But he knew that wouldn't happen, not really, it was too late for him, most of it happened before he even realized it began.

"I can do that. But mark my words Harry Potter you'll see the day where both Snape and Draco aren't really so bad."

Harry laughed. "That'll be the day I die because I trusted them."

Serena curled up into Harry's side and rested her head on his shoulder. "Maybe. And you'll let me know if I can become friends with Cedric, won't you? He seems pretty nice."

"I was interested in Cho. Cedric is dating her. Unless that relationship breaks apart, well I don't see me warming towards the guy." Harry rested his head on hers. The fire was burning a little less hot these days as the temperature outside rose but there was still a spring nip in the air.

"Shouldn't you be turning your attention a little closer to home? Isn't there someone nearby that you are _really _interested in?"

Harry sighed as he closed his eyes, it was warm and comfortable here. "Well you're off the table and that seems to be the common denominator these days, all the girls I'm interested in are off limits."

"You might find one of them isn't so forbidden, that if you just went about it the right way you'd be dragging in the prize without causing any flareups in retaliation." Serena's voice was dying off as she spoke or maybe that was just Harry's hearing as he took that into dream world.

It might not seem like it all the time while they were at Hogwarts but since the first year and the following summer these two had gotten to be really close friends. They'd often fall asleep on couches while watching a movie at her house or sharing secret thoughts. A little of that did show through here too but they were often too busy with homework and school and other mysteries to just have time to sit together like this. It still happened on occasion but a lot less often than during the breaks. They found they had a lot of similarities and yet secrets on both sides were still kept from each other. Little ones that could be major if revealed in the wrong way and some larger ones too. Other secrets they thought they were keeping but they didn't realize they were already well known by the one they were trying to protect. Their last conversation was one of the latter but what happened next was part of the former. Something Harry had no basis to go off of or how to help her handle it.

He woke with a start to find her crying out. She was thrashing as if she was trying to get at something she couldn't. Whimpers echoes and suddenly her eyes flashed open and she was awake with the echo of a name on her lips, a name she almost screamed. As it was any who happened to be in the common room would have heard it clearly. "Jadeite! No!" Then she was crying and buried her face into her palms.

Harry wrapped an arm around her upper back and bent over her trying to help her, to comfort her, and perhaps calm her a little. She continued sobbing until she had no tears left but in the meantime he asked her questions and he got a few muffled responses. One of which left him feeling more awkward than before. "I caused his death. I'm at fault." She shook her head and cried some more.

"Whose? This Jadeite? How'd you cause it?" Further tears sprung up and he got no response.

When they were finally dried out, she rubbed at her face with any part of her that was still dry and stood up. "I'm so sorry Harry." She continued rubbing at her wet face. "Just forget any of this happened. It was just a nightmare." She darted towards the girls' dormitories and Harry stood to follow her until she was too far. He sighed and headed towards his bed.

He wished he could understand part of her world that she kept at bay from him but he wasn't welcomed into all of her life. She could say it was to protect him all she wanted but he thought maybe it was to protect herself too. Harry didn't have the answers and he could only watch helplessly as more went on behind the scenes. There were sometimes too many mysteries to solve.

As he reached his bed though he was surprised Ron didn't dart downstairs again with it in his hands. There on his bed was his brand new fire-bolt. Oliver had tried to get McGonagall to give it back just that morning but was fobbed off as further testing was needed. None too soon was it returned though, they had another game this weekend, in only a few short days and Oliver no doubt would want to practice.

Since he was now awake once more he spent time first cleaning and caring for his broom. Then when that was done he set it aside in a manner that would keep good care of it and returned instead to another matter at hand. He tried to pretend like things were all right but secretly he was always looking for a moment to find Black traipsing the grounds, catch him before he could do further harm. He didn't find his name, nor did he find Professor Lupin's, even in his bedchambers asleep.

Other teachers were in various states of awake or asleep. Dumbledore was still pacing the grounds of his office even at this late hour. The twins were right, he did that a _lot_. He must have had a lot on his mind and Harry was sure he wouldn't even be able to scratch the surface of what went on in there. Snape was awake and walking the halls, Hagrid was asleep in his hut. Harry searched now not for Black but for Lupin and couldn't find him. He must have been off the grounds. That was strange. Was this the first time he'd noticed it? It must have been, maybe it was the first time Lupin had left.

He found a name though that he wasn't expecting to see and it disappeared off the page he was on so quickly that he couldn't be sure. He searched the other pages but it didn't appear again. Maybe he was wrong about that too. He'd have to watch to be sure. Maybe it was just a name on his subconscious and so he thought he saw it. Though it had disappeared just about the same place that he knew had a secret passageway out of Hogwarts.

Harry figured he was overtired, told the map he was done and curled up to sleep. Tomorrow would tell him all that he needed to know.

–

Tomorrow turned out to be a very poor day indeed. Lupin was absent from class again and Snape was there to teach them, again. If that wasn't bad enough, when the four of them went to the library to look up magical creatures and court cases they found nothing that could help them. Buckbeak was surely doomed. Then Serena spent their lunch break over at the Slytherin table talking with Malfoy and even had the nerve to laugh at one of his jokes.

But there was an upside to the day as well, Ron was in positive spirits, the firebolt was returned with no obvious hexes and even some more cleverly created ones. Hermione rolled her eyes, standing firm on her reasoning but was glad all the same to see that it didn't come from Black. The strain around her eyes seemed to lessen some and when she looked at Serena at dinner time it seemed as if another weight was lifted altogether. How had Harry missed that? Hermione had been worried about the blond?

Hermione caught him before practice and pulled him and Ron into an empty classroom. "Have any of you noticed something strange going on with Serena? She hasn't been sleeping well. I thought for a minute it might be that necklace she's cagey about but if it did come from the same person as your broom it's probably not cursed."

"Just the usual oddities and evasions. She's not done anything too out of character though." Harry was the first to respond.

"How would we even know what's out of character for her?" Ron made a point. "She's not exactly level all the time."

Harry laughed and was about to say that she wasn't bipolar either but Hermione beat him to the punch. "She's consistent in her inconsistency which makes it harder to figure out but there are some more telling details. Liked her nightmares or her illness the other month or-"

"We get it." Ron waved her off. "Usually if she's not her upbeat self she's pretending to be and its those odd moments when her guard slips that you can tell something's not right. So other than the usual, no I haven't noticed either."

"She wouldn't let me see the necklace." Hermione was practically pouting. "The both of you have seen it. It's like she's afraid that if I see it I'll take it away."

"You probably would." Ron said deadpanned. He and Harry were both over the firebolt issue, especially now that it was returned but he was also right.

"This is what you dragged us in here for? I have a quidditch practice." Harry tried to sidestep Hermione but she sighed in resignation.

"I guess I was just feeling out of the loop. You both seem to know so much more than I do these days."

"Well if you were ever around to talk to her then you'd know as much as I do." Ron boldly stated and Harry had to hide his smirk. He didn't say anything though and Ron and Hermione had a squabble over that comment as he headed out to practice. They'd have a few more in the next coming nights but tonight's went well.

Later that night Ron and Harry were getting ready for bed when Ron pulls down his blanket to find blood and orange fur. Instantly Ron and Harry both had the same thoughts. Ron rushed out of the room before Harry could stop him and followed after resigned to this newest blowout.

Ron was shouting at Hermione in not so coherent of terms and Serena wandered down bleary eyed having finally gotten to bed early. She stopped by Harry who was just sitting there watching this, he wasn't sure which side to be on.

Serena after a few minutes of listening and trying to discern what was happening finally broke in. "Crookshanks didn't kill your rat."

"Suppose he told you that, did he?" Ron turned on her with a snarl but Serena was shaking her head.

"You know animals don't talk to me, but surely you've realized Crookshanks is a special cat? He has a way of communicating with us, kind of like Mrs. Norris and Filch." The others winced at her reference to the man who walked the halls at night. "Harry, you've noticed it right?"

Harry who wasn't overly fond of cats, but he supposed more so than Ron took a moment to think about it before slowly nodding. Crookshanks did have a way with sensing out people, if he didn't like you, it was probably for a very good reason.

"That doesn't tell me whether or not that orange fleabag ate Scabbers!" Ron shouted and turned to dig into Hermione once more.

Hermione had her back up in defense of her 'poor, defenseless' cat and Serena had to bite her lip from smiling. She just got the joke. Harry tore his eyes away from the sight to look at Serena, wondering what she thought was so funny. She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Hermione got a ginger cat." It took him a moment before a chuckle rose out of his chest too and he nodded, though she probably regretted that small hint now. Those two were always at odds with each other, he didn't see how it would ever work.

When Percy came in they knew that they had to break it up, he would have no problem taking his own brother into see McGonagall or the closest teacher who could handle spats like this. Harry hooked Ron's elbow with his hand and dragged the fuming boy away. Serena could deal with cheering Hermione up, though there still was more proof leading to Hermione's cat eating Ron's rat than the other way around.

Tomorrow he'd try to get Ron's mind off of it by letting him ride the firebolt. Riding usually cheered Ron up.

–

It did and the win against Ravenclaw, despite Harry's ease on Cho Chang as their seeker, was something to help alleviate tensions as well. Even Percy and his girlfriend Penelope were happy and took part in the good cheer. Guess Seekers stuck together as did chasers. Glancing over at Oliver making a fool of himself with one of the other chasers just confirmed that thought.

Harry stood to go talk to Cho and congratulate her on the good game was waylaid by Serena who pushed him down into her seat when he started walking by and found himself face to face with Ginny who started in on how she would love to be a seeker one day too except Harry already had that position so she might have to find a different one since there was no way she could compete with his skill. A momentary glance at the Ravenclaw table and Cho in particular saved him from making a fool of himself as Cedric tried to cheer her up. He was only a year ahead of them so Harry wasn't lucky enough to see the back of him after this year finished. They'd still have one more year together. Yet he didn't seem too bothered as his attention was firmly entrapped by Ginny from then on.

Serena sank down next to Ron who was trying to ignore the looks Hermione was sending him from down the long length of the table and avoided the looks from another blond female all together. Her eyes were making hearts and Serena blanched at the obviousness of it all. Serena sat in the direction of Hermione and made sure Ron's eyes never turned in the other direction. That was the last thing she needed to interfere with. Thankfully Neville was across the table and she invited him into the conversation as well.

Nevile was just recounting the event they all saw with a cheerful laugh. "I still can't believe the look on Malfoy's face when he got knocked down by that charm Harry sent his way!"

"To be fair they were dressed as Dementors." Ron was laughing too. "But I'm so glad they got chewed out by McGonagall, their point reduction will surely put them in last place." It was true, since the turn of the term they hadn't encountered many issues in points being taken away. Perhaps it was because it was only petty things Snape could get on the Gryffindor students, or because some of the other teachers outweighed those reductions by giving more points than teachers in the past... oh well, Gryffindor was happy.

"The only thing even I can say in defense of Malfoy was that they _were _walking and I have yet to see a Dementor actually touch the ground." Serena laughed. "But they completely deserved it. I mean how many students would they have harmed if Harry hadn't acted first?"

The party went from dinner in the great hall and moved into the common room where it lasted late into the night. Slowly people departed from the room and headed off to bed. Harry was there somewhere in the middle and Serena soon followed after. Ron and Hermione were left but when Hermione started to move towards him, Ron stood quickly and headed upstairs, leaving her sad and alone with the remaining house members that were still awake. She slowly headed to her own bed.

–

A terrified yell woke all the males in all the years in their house and everyone rushed to the second years' dormitory to find who was in trouble. Most thought it was Harry and wands were out and ready. Instead it was Ron who was screaming and they still looked to Harry to make sure Ron wasn't screaming about what happened to his friend. Harry was at the end of his bed looking at Ron, trying to figure out what was wrong. All eyes returned to the redhead.

"Black! Black was here! He slashed through my curtains!" Ron was clutching his blanket tightly as he stared at the spot he had last seen that well-known face. "He was positively beastly!"

It left everyone wondering three things, one, how did he get in? Two was he after Ron instead of Harry? Or three, had he mistaken Harry's bed for Ron and so could not finish his task? It was now clear however that Black was _not _after Serena, or at least not yet. Perhaps he wanted to finish with one task before moving on to the other.

McGongall got brought in by Percy and all the boys were meeting in the common room. She talked to them, somehow the girls were left undisturbed, they'd be told about it in the morning. Perhaps his scream had not carried as far as everyone else thought.

"How did he get in?" She demanded of the painting of Sir Cadogan.

He looked rather bored. "Well anyone I've let in through this door has had the passwords." He looked down at his sword. "The man I let in had all of them on a sheet of paper."

"How did he get that?" McGongall turned to the students, she would rouse the girls if the boys didn't know.

Neville stepped forward, he hadn't _given _the passwords to Black nor intended for him to get a hold of it in anyway. "I wrote them all down, they were just too complicated to remember and were always changing. I had him tell me all that would be used so I could have them at hand. I must have lost the paper. I'm so sorry Harry... Ron." He turned to look at them and Harry shrugged. He wouldn't have minded a confrontation with Black. It would have saved him the trouble of looking for him.

McGonagall shakes her head. "I'm severely disappointed in you Mr. Longbottom." With a sigh she turned. "I shall see to the future precautions. Please get some sleep, he will not be bothering any of you again. Mr. Weasley?" Four heads turned but her eyes were on Ron. "Are you all right to go back to your room and bed? I could understand if you wished to be moved temporarily."

"There's another bed. I'll sleep there." Ron had already switched out the sheets with one of the other ones, he'd have to find one untouched. The elves were slacking on their cleaning duties it seemed. Though Harry had gotten a 'nice' pair of knitted socks which were far too long from Dobby over Christmas break in appreciation for his help and was supposedly working now at the castle. Even Serena had gotten something from him, though Harry wasn't sure why or how she'd gotten on his good side after all the 'warnings' against her. Dobby sure did get a lot wrong or at least off with his lack of ability to speak all of his thoughts.

"Could just ask for Dob-" A hand covered his mouth to stop him from saying the rest.

"Please don't. He's kind of a pest if you're not in the right mood." Harry supposed he could understand where Ron was coming from and nodded and the hand was taken away. "I'll handle it." But he didn't need to, when they got back to the room even the curtains were changed out. "Wow, thanks guys." Ron whispered to the empty room. He was the first to enter it again. The elves had done their job.

That night nothing further happened but Harry doubted if Ron slept a wink and it was noticeable that next morning. He had red puffy eyes as he sat down next to Serena and could hardly keep them open as he passed around his food.

Serena was bright and talking a mile a minute after her first bite and she questioned them about the changes that had gone on. During the night the painting had been removed and the fat Lady's had returned. Next to it were two trolls guarding and watching all that entered and left their house. "Think it's just ours?"

"Probably. Nobody else has had Black try to break into it more than once." Ron took a bite of his meal and when his eyes closed to savor it, they didn't open again right away and the fork still hung from his mouth.

Harry took it out and set it down on the table. Ron still didn't budge but he was startled awake when Harry started talking and resumed eating. Serena was looking wide-eyed between the two of them, wondering if they were ok. "Black slashed through Ron's curtains last night. He'd gotten in through Neville's sheet of passwords. I heard he won't be getting them anymore. He always has to be with someone to get in."

"Poor Neville. If it had to happen to someone..." Serena's words drifted off as they both got her meaning. "They were complicated too. I thought about writing down some of the more crazy ones. They didn't just change daily, they changed almost hourly too. Perhaps I should go sit with him?" Serena looked down the table at the boy but at least Hermione and Ginny were with him.

"Nah, stay here, this is the safe part of the table. We don't make those kinds of mistakes." Ron commented before taking another bite.

Serena wanted to argue with him but didn't. These new precautions were going to be torture to try to get around without setting off alarm bells. She knew she could leave from within the castle but it was easier when she was outside the doors, less to try and go through. Possible but more strenuous.

Harry was thinking somewhat along the same lines. It would be harder to sneak about the castle, especially at night with these new security measures. They didn't do anything of the sort when students were being attacked by the giant snake. Why so much security for _one _wizard? He couldn't possibly be a greater risk, even if he did break out of Azkaban, than the basilisk that had been here for hundreds of years and knew its way around without being seen.

It was a Sunday and Ron suggested going back down to Hagrid's to enjoy a cup of tea. Serena backed out of it, Ron had dropped Trelawney's class but she hadn't and she had about all the tea she could handle. So Harry and Ron went down without her.

Hagrid berated them about Hermione, and Ron commented on the way back that Serena probably put him up to it, chickening out once she heard the news of what transpired over the night. Harry laughed but he didn't know if he agreed. She would have just come out and said it if she was sure of her stance. She didn't seem as if she wanted the tension but couldn't say one way or the other if Hermione's cat was responsible for Scabber's disappearance. If asked she would have given her opinion but she kept out of it otherwise, knowing how defensive Ron got over the littlest of things.

They didn't do anything about it though over the next few days, Ron still had to get over the scare of the night before and his anger at allowing her cat to roam these halls if it was such a hunter.

–

Serena though was not having such an easy time of it as she avoided slashes of a claw towards her midsection intending to gut her. She narrowly managed to avoid them but couldn't avoid the sinking of the fangs into her shoulder and she cried out as she rolled on the ground, trying to get away from it. Out of nowhere a dog launched itself and attacked the creature she was fighting.

The dog backed off growling and snapping its jaws at the creature and Serena dressed in a different sort of uniform took a stance to finish it off. The creature attempted to flee as the one it was fighting was not as defenseless or alone as it originally thought. Serena finished it off before it could get far and then sank to her knees to run her fingers through the mangy fur of the dog, not afraid in the slightest. "I've seen you around." She commented to it and the dog settled into a sitting position assured that she wasn't going to finish him off. "I've taken you as a good omen whereas Harry's taken you as bad." The dog let out a small whine and tilted his head, wanting to hear more and feel more rubs. "But you were just warning us weren't you? Maybe not even that. Maybe you were just curious about us." He headbutted her hand and she scratched under his chin. He tried to lick her shoulder but she twisted away. "It's fine, I'll be ok soon enough but you can't interfere. Sometimes interference helps and sometimes it works against what I do." She glanced up at the darkening sky. "Soon, ok? As long as there's a moon."

The dog seemed to nod and Serena continued scratching his ears. She was already healing and the suit helped aid her as well but it would disappear instantly when the moon reached her. Thankfully it was an early moon tonight. Sometimes it was in the day time and even though it shouldn't have worked as well, it did. All she needed really was to see it and for it to see her.

After an hour she turned her shoulder to him. "See all better. Thanks for keeping me company and for helping me out earlier. Though it was very dangerous for you to do so." She chided him but he didn't seem repentant. There was so much to be seen in dog's eyes, sometimes they might not actually understand but usually they did and pretended not to. She knew that's what she was seeing her and she gave the dog a quick hug around its neck before she got up and started her way back towards the castle.

It didn't dawn on her at all that a dog was mildly tame in comparison to all the other animals she found in the forest. Even Hermione's cat was half-magical creature and half regular. Though Ron's rat was fairly normal, there was nothing special about it, except that it was old.

Serena shrugged all of that from her mind and hurried back to the castle. She had a professor she needed to speak with, and for the first time she had exactly the right questions in mind.

–

Harry wandered the halls, looking for that name that had just appeared again. He was getting closer, he could see their footprints nearing one another closer and closer and suddenly he thought he was right upon him but didn't see him. Even if he were invisible, they surely would have bumped into each other, wouldn't they? It was twilight and it was difficult to make out too much without the light of his wand but even that didn't help much, there was still too much natural light to see the artificial. He sighed and tapped his wand against the parchment when the name disappeared once more. He might as well head up to his house. There wasn't any more he could do now, people would wonder what he was doing about when all these annoyances were his fault.

"What do you have there?" A nasally voice asked behind him and he whirled around in surprise. Snape wasn't on the map moments ago. Or maybe just wasn't paying attention, his focus somewhere else. Now that he looked around he realized he was near the dungeons. The map was taken out of his hands before he could stop the man. "Reveal yourself!"

Harry winced as insults were written across the paper, insulting Snape and in a rather knowing way, as if the writers had designed them specifically for the man. "I was given it-" Harry began not wanting to get anyone in trouble.

"Ah yes, I suppose you were, Mr. Potter. But by whom? This kind of thing is exactly what your father would have had. He was always up to no good as well."

"That's a lie." Harry found his voice and it was clear for once when dealing with Snape. "My father was a good man."

"Perhaps he got better with time, but when I knew him he was a scoundrel and always getting into trouble. He was rotten to the core."

"Shut up!" Harry shouted. "Stop telling me your lies!"

Their commotion drew eyes from paintings and ghosts alike. "We shall see if there's any deviousness in this." Black eyes held him captive as he was unmoved by Harry's disrespectful nature. "I would have thought even you would have learned from last term about gifts like this." He waved it around and headed for his office leaving Harry no choice but to follow. "The Weasly girl had paper that wrote back as well, didn't she?"

"She-" Harry hadn't thought about it, Fred and George had given him this and they'd been using it for years, surely it wouldn't have anything sinister on it if they were fine? "Yes." He had no other answer but the truth and Snape nodded as he threw in some black dust into his fireplace. "Lupin I request your presence."

Lupin appeared through the doorway several minutes later, seemingly bored with this summoning. "What is it Severus? I have things I need to be doing- Oh, hello Harry."

Snape handed the parchment over to Lupin. "What do you make of this? It is after-all under your field, is it not?"

"This?" Lupin flicked through it with some surprise. "Why its nothing more than some prank, intended to insult any who demands to know its secrets. It's harmless fun, probably from Zonkos. I shouldn't think anything of it."

"Yes... well if you're sure." Snape's eyes showed that he didn't believe a word of it but what could he say to a fellow teacher except insult him on something he was hired to do.

Lupin pocketed the map. "I'll hold on to it in any case. See if I can't decipher anything further from it. Though I believe any further testing will bring me back to what I already know. That its nothing more than a joke."

"Then I suppose he is free to go." Snape waved Harry away. "With a ten point reduction for being rude to a professor."

"You were insulting my father!" Harry defended himself but Snape only raised a brow and Harry knew he was in trouble.

"Twenty for talking back." Snape looked away dismissing him. "Whereas I wouldn't mind talking to you for another moment about another matter."

"Wait outside Harry, I have something to discuss with you." Lupin caught Harry before he could leave. "It shouldn't take more than a minute." Harry nodded and went to wait by the door, trying to listen in and hearing snippets. "What is it Severus?"

"You were always so desperate for friends Lupin, that whenever someone has a leaning towards becoming one you cut them too much slack and overlook their faults."

"You know nothing about me Severus except what I cannot hide."

"I know that you like to be liked after being disliked for so long. Do not fall prey to your own short comings and allow others to get away with things they shouldn't."

"That's enough Severus. I know what I'm doing and who I am." Lupin's voice was still the same inflection and volume it had before but there was something defense about it and Harry wondered why Snape affected him so. His voice pitched lower but Harry couldn't hear anything, just the fleeting mention of Lily and he knew they were talking about his mother. He scowled as he leaned against the cold stones, the things he wanted most to hear were always kept from him.

Then a brightness was in front of him and it took him a moment to realize it was Serena's hair he was seeing. "What are you doing down here?" Harry asked before she saw him, she was heading straight to Snape's office door.

She whirled and her face lit up. "Harry! Oh, I was just coming to talk to Snape, we have an agreement about something and I was trying to honor my side of it as best as I can. What are you doing down here? Get in trouble with Snape?" She looked rather sympathetic and Harry shrugged.

"Nothing crazy, didn't lose too many points at least." Harry shrugged wondering why everyone was had so many secrets. He didn't, he felt like an open book compared to everyone else.

"Oh well, I'll try to earn them back for you." Serena winked and Harry shook his head in amusement. "Any other news I should be aware of?"

"No, nothing much, I'll tell you whatever I can later." Harry moved away from the wall as Lupin came out of the office.

"Serena." He greeted looking to her first before his eyes moved to Harry. "Ready to go?" Harry nodded. "Good." Then he looked to Serena once more. "You're not in any sort of trouble that I need to intercede with, are you?"

Serena smiled brightly. "No, but thanks Professor. You're such a great teacher."

Lupin turned slightly pink at her compliment but he gestured for Harry to go ahead and followed soon after. Serena turned to go into Snape's office and when she entered she found him fuming. "What?" He snapped when he realized someone had come in. When he assessed who it was, his face contorted as if he wasn't sure he was pleased by the new comer's presence. "What do you want now Miss Riddle?"

"I'm honoring our bargain. I was off the castle grounds again today and-"

"Anything happen?" Snape cut her off, his eyes sharpening on her hands and she held them up to his inspection. She even did a turn for him, lifting her curtain of hair and cape out of the way so he could see. It was nothing indecent and he never touched her, he was just worried about her health after that last scare.

"I'm fine. I had some slight scratches on my shoulder but they've healed like normal." Serena explained dropping her cloak back into place. He was nodding as if he accepted her answer as is.

"I'm glad to hear of it." He went to sit at his desk. "Anything else?"

"No, that's it I guess for now. Though..." Serena bit her lip. "Did you love my mother?"

Snape's face transformed in shock, she had known and made references to it all the time but now that she came out and asked it, they couldn't pretend otherwise. "In a way, I guess I did."

Serena nodded, that's all she needed for now, but she couldn't help but keep asking questions, they were burning in her to ask and he could shut her down all he wanted but he couldn't stop her from asking.

–

Harry followed Lupin into an empty classroom not to far away. Lupin whirled on Harry brandishing the paper. "What do you think you're doing with this? Black's on the loose and you're wandering around with magical papers. Don't you think he would relish getting his hands on this? With this there would be no way of stopping him. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. Will you really throw their sacrifice away for a bag of magic tricks?"

"Think I don't know that?" Harry demanded back, his temperature going from simmering to boiling at the innuendo. "Every time those dementors get near me I hear Voldemort murdering my mum! I'm well aware of their sacrifice, I have physical proof as well!"

Lupin made a sudden movement with his arm, his hand spasmed but he forced it back to his side. He looked away and his voice was more sedate after that. Was he thinking better of trying to grip Harry's shoulder? "What were you even doing with it? Don't you think that the creators were trying to lure you out of the castle?"

"I- well, I saw a name on there that couldn't exist." Harry answered honestly feeling bad now about raising his voice to Lupin. The young-ish man looked so worn out.

"What do you mean?" Lupin asked rotating the paper in his hands. "It never lies."

"It has been around for a very long time, hasn't it?" Harry was just beginning to recognize that Lupin was well aware of its existence before now and knew exactly what it was. Lupin nodded and Harry continued. "Well I saw the name Peter Pettigrew on there and I was trying to find him. I got to a spot but then he was upon me and then gone once more. I lost him somewhere, somehow."

"I'm going to hold onto this. You shouldn't have it while Black is on the loose and you should stay on the castle grounds." Lupin pocketed the map. "Go on back to your dorm, I shall see you in class tomorrow."

"Good night Sir." Harry headed out feeling... well maybe the term was befuddled by all that went on just now. He hurried up, wondering if he could find Serena and maybe getting other answers out of her.

–

Serena leaned forward on her elbows as she talked to Snape. He was in a rare state today, he had seemed so angry when she walked in but now he seemed much more relaxed and accepting of the inevitable. "Why does nobody know about this?"

"Do you really want more black marks against your name?" Snape asked with a hand going to the back of his neck and rubbing there.

"No, I suppose not, not after Malfoy and Riddle already occupy most of the peoples' minds." Serena shook her head in amazement. "I have soo many questions-"

"Not now Miss Riddle. I am tired and have had a very trying day. Just earlier today Mr. Nixon's potion boiled up and over, causing a huge mess." He was talking about a first year in Gryffindor. "And Neville Longbottom-" On she knew that he didn't like him, probably more than he didn't like Harry, she just could never figure out _why_. The poor boy's parents were still alive and perhaps that was a bigger drain on him than if they had been killed, he had to watch them suffer in madness every day not knowing who he was but feeling obligated to try anyway. They might be his parents by blood but they no longer were mentally.

"Why do you keep pretending to be like the Slytherin reputation? I _know_ that the traits described in Slytherin can be used for good as well as bad. I've read about many Slytherin members turning out to be staples in the community who are champions for their causes and make great strides in making the world a better place. Why many of them are leaders in business as well as charity."

"Just as you know there are many who are evil in the Gryffindor house. How on Earth did you ever get to be there?" Snape shook his head. "You do not fit. If I were the one to place some of you, Harry and Ron would stay, Neville would be in Hufflepuff, Hermione in Ravenclaw and you would be in... probably Hufflepuff as well."

Serena couldn't keep the smile from her face. "Gee, thanks, I'm in the same house as one of your favorite students."

"No, it's just that you are a great finder."

Serena gave him that. "But I'm also quick to action without always thinking things through and quick to a temper as well and... well I guess brave and rule-breaking sometimes too."

Snape smirked. "You break rules but then you try to honor our bargains too. I do think Hufflepuff would have been better for you. You're kind and friendly and loyal. Your bravery seems almost forced as if you only do it because you know its the right and truly only thing to do. Though sometimes your nerve does catch me off guard. I have yet to meet a really chivalrous Gryffindor, they seem to forget that aspect of their house traits and concentrate instead on pointless heroics, like Neville last year who stood up to his friends but ended up being left behind anyway. That was completely pointless."

"For the others maybe but for Neville it took a lot of bravery to go against three strong wizards." Ron at the time might not have been as strong as he could have been but he was getting better every day. Serena shrugged. "I think there's a lot of misconceptions about every house. Even Slytherin. Did you know Harry was almost sorted into your house?" Snape shuddered at the thought. "It's true, but he wanted to be anywhere else other than with Malfoy. I was almost put in Slytherin as well but I don't think it would have fit. I'm not very cunning."

Snape laughed. "Somehow I think you would have shown all aspects of Syltherin well, cunning is something you have in spades, just in a more open and friendly manner. You trick everyone with that smile but you're thinking and planning though everyone sees such an innocent expression."

Serena's nose wrinkled. "I don't think so, I mean, maybe a little but I'm not smart like Hermione or-"

"Miss Riddle we could go on about how you are like or unlike all the students in all the houses for days and still not come up with a correct answer. I stand where I do but you've got traits from all the houses in varying degrees." He tapped her on the nose with his wand and her eyes crossed momentarily looking at it. "How about we just drop that subject?" Serena agreed and Snape gave one of his rare smiles. "Good now go on Miss Riddle before I have to escort you back to the tower."

Serena hopped off the desk. "All right but don't think for one moment I'll forget that you owe me answers."

"I suspected as much." Snape leaned back in his chair looking at her tiredly. "Just not tonight, or even this year, if we could avoid it, please?"

Seeing as how the year ended in only a couple of short months, Serena wasn't sure she was willing to accept that idea in full, she couldn't wait the whole summer to get the answers she needed. "I suppose it can wait." She didn't tack on the rest of her thoughts. "Good night Professor."

"Good night, Miss Riddle."

–

Serena returned to the house and was dragged into a nook by Harry who demanded all sorts of answers and Serena looked around before dropping her voice. "There's something I can share but you have to promise not to get mad or tell anyone else."

"I suppose I can promise that." Harry agreed.

"This is important, you can't share even if someone starts prodding around in your mind or gave you truth serum."

"I would think if I could hold it back then I would be able to hold back other secrets as well that might prove to be more important than whatever it is you're going to say." Harry responded dryly. "Why not get out with it?"

Serena held his hands and looked into his eyes and for some reason the task she had given him seemed so much easier to accomplish now. He wondered fleetingly if she put some kind of lock on this conversation. "Severus Snape is my sort-of stepfather."

"Sort of?" Harry repeated, it hadn't sank in yet what she said or what it meant. "How does that work?"

"Well remember when I did research on Black?" Here she winced knowing this was really going to fire Harry up. He nodded for her to continue. "Well I had said that Cassandra Black married Snape, right?" Another nod and she took a deep breath. "That was only to cover the fact that Voldemort had impregnated her, with me."

"What?" Harry roared and pulled away furious at this new turn of events. "You're-" His words choked off and he looked around to see everyone staring at them and he pitched his voice lower so only she could hear. "You're Black's niece?" He shook his head and then ran a hand through his black hair for good measure. "Is there any dark family you're not somehow related to?"

Serena's nose wrinkled in thought and then she shrugged. "No idea. Probably not, the wizarding community in Greater Britain is pretty small and every family is somehow related to another one. I mean if you look hard enough at the family tree for Potter and Weasley the two of you are related somewhat and I'm right there with you, and Malfoy. But I mean you might have to get pretty far out to see it. That's probably why muggles are born with the skills too or are married into wizarding families to keep the bloodlines from completely rotting."

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "Some bloodlines it seems are more closely related than others. For example the close connection you have with the man who is trying to kill one or both of us!"

"I'm pleased you're taking this connection to Snape a lot better than I thought you would." Serena sat back with a smile. "I mean technically I should have probably been raised by him and not my moms as he is technically the father written down on this birth certificate somewhere around here but since we live in a magical realm anything with my official name on it recognizes the blood in my veins over the marriage agreements. It was only a precautionary measure to protect my life until my birth and then I don't know what happened then. I guess Voldemort died after being disappointed in my gender but unable to do anything to me before he disappeared." She shrugged again. "Oh well, I'm here now and I probably was never meant to live this long but I have."

Harry sank down into the chair across from her once more and shook his head trying to clear it and make sense of the gibberish she'd just spilled, he knew there was some type of importance there. He was still reeling though from the news she'd just erupted with and he was trying to mop it up at the same time. "Well that's a benefit to us then at least. Unless he has figured out some other way to use you now that you're still alive." Harry rubbed his eyes. "I hadn't expected this news when I was grilling you about what you were doing with Snape."

"No, I realize that but I have just had confirmation of my suspicions."

"And you had the overwhelming urge to share it with me?" When she nodded he sighed. "I suppose I would have too, though I might have been a bit more embarrassed about it. _I _wouldn't want to be related to either of them."

Serena smiled. "But then again you don't like Snape. From the first day I knew there was something more than the obvious to why he treated me differently. It just took awhile to figure out."

"The real feat would be figuring out why he likes _Malfoy _so much, beyond the obvious." Harry arched his eyebrows in disdain and Serena shook her head, she liked Malfoy too but she suspected that it had more to do with the parts that she hadn't shared with Harry, so she kept mum on them still.

"Anything new on the Lupin front?" Serena switched the topic and something released in the air around them, Harry suddenly felt freer. "I mean you did go to talk to him."

"Yeah he took the map. We probably won't be going into Hogsmead again this term." Harry rubbed his ear. "He seemed to know a lot about it too. He had one up on Snape."

Serena's eyes perked up. "No wonder he was so grumpy, he hates it whenever Lupin proves to be better at something than he is."

"Snape thinks he's amazing but all he knows how to do is make potions." Harry grunted and rubbed his shin when Serena kicked him. "Well it's true."

"Professor Snape took Lockehart's wand during last term's wizarding match. He also got rid of that snake and has been behind a number of different attempts to keep Voldemort and his cronies away from Hogwarts. He has stopped some attacks and has protected _you_ against very powerful magic. You cannot forget last year when Quirrel tried to kill you and he stopped your broom from going headlong into the ground."

"It still went crazy." Harry argued. "And he might not agree with the methods or the moments but I'm still not sure he isn't part of or with our enemies." Serena rolled her eyes, clearing not agreeing and Harry went on, also ignoring her protest about how good of a wizard Snape secretly was, defeating Lockehart was hardly a mark of a great accomplishment. "Anyway my opinion of Lupin keeps going up. He completely covered for me when Snape tried to confiscate it and probably burn it. Maybe when this matter with Black is settled we will be able to go out without it."

"I suppose I can wait." Serena sighed and leaned against the table, though that wasn't going to be _such _a burden on her. "Nothing else new of note?"

"Well Hermione punched Mafoy for taunting Hagrid when all three of us went down there to try and console Hagrid after Buckbeak lost his trial. There's going to be an appeal but it doesn't look good."

Serena had figured as much was bound to happen but she still felt for both Buckbeak and Hagrid. She couldn't praise Hermione for punching Draco but he might have deserved it. "Right, right." So Hermione and Ron had made up it seemed and Harry probably made up with her the day before that. Wow she was out of the loop when so much happened in a day or two but it wasn't _huge _news, just mildly important.

"Hermione apologized for Scabbers disappearance and Ron was sorry he blamed it all on Crookshanks. If it proves, unlike Neville's toad, that the rat is gone for good and not just missing then Hermione will buy him a new familiar."

"That's mighty generous of her." Serena should have thought of that and then she could have gotten rid of the disease carrying rodent herself, not that she would have actually harmed it, just probably would have tried to feed it to Buckbeak, if he'd eat it. She knew all animals big and small mattered and none were inherently bad but she didn't like that rat, there was something off about it, she got along with both Crookshanks and Harry's owl, even Neville's toad Trevor liked her. That rat always cowered in fear or tried to bite her to get away. It was the only animal she'd encountered that tried to bite her. "How is she anyway? She was looking a little stressed earlier with all of her classes."

"She's tough and she's never backed down from an academic fight. Though I do believe her load will be quite easier next year when she halves the courses she's taken on. A... um.. how did she word this? Not quitting, choosing certain priorities over pointless courses that are just rehashing the same things she already knew. Or something like that."

Serena tried to stifle her laugh. "Sounds like her all right." Serena stood and stretched. "Well I hope she can keep it up."

–

A few days later proved she couldn't. She missed Charms and when Ron found her she was asleep on top of a pile of books. He woke her and she jerked to her feet, looking the time and then running out of the room with a backwards thank you. Ron looked after her in confusion and a little bit of hurt at her dismissal of him. Serena came across him and when she asked what was wrong he explained. She didn't say anything to his face but thought maybe he wouldn't be so dismissive of Hermione in the future now that he knew how it felt. She pulled him along and met with Harry in divination.

Class started and there was no Hermione. Serena was beginning to worry about the curly-haired brunette in earnest. She was also beginning to wonder if they'd do anything more than look at tea cups and crystal balls. There were many other ways to look into the future or even the dangers that were here and now just out of their regular sight. She clenched a fist over her heart as she thought of just who had been good at it in the past and how he'd never do it again.

Jadeite had been around her entire first year and well into her second. He had been tough and in the end it might not have been her hand that ended his existence but she had been right there in the thick of things that had caused it. Nephrite had shown up on the scene only months ago but Beryl must have still been reeling with anger because she allowed Zoicite to end his life when he failed to deliver _her _head. She could still see his charred body as Zoicite ushered down wave after wave of electricity into his body. Serena barely got out alive. She couldn't understand how Beryl could kill off one of her generals like that and so quickly, he hadn't even time to really get into stride. But that was why they were on opposite sides, Serena couldn't understand much about the woman who pulled the strings from behind the scenes.

At least Voldemort was in the heart of it all and showed up to many of the battles instead of hiding like a coward. His cause was clear and if she had to rank these enemies Voldemort was second to the mysterious woman. Both though were too different and until she came face to face with both of them she could not accurately say one way or the other. Still her heart hurt for the now dead man, he wasn't at fault for his actions, he had been a vessel controlled at the very base by a madwoman. She had infiltrated all parts of him and while many things were his own they were tainted with her goals.

Another stab of pain attacked her heart as she felt for the unknown prince, the face of the man the only part of him she really knew. It was his friend that had died, more than that, in the past they had been like brothers. It was one piece about the prince and the generals she knew for a fact. If only she could know more- but no, that's not her intention, she still wanted no part of that, to go down that path would mean she had to accept her fate or at least face it head-on. She should just get through one thing at a time. Hopefully by the time she had to interact with the possibly not reborn prince she would have no need for him as she had already dealt with their enemies. Maybe not single-handedly but without the Earth Prince's involvement. He wouldn't even need to know his brothers in arms had fought against his wife or that they were reanimated corpses rather than being reborn. Perhaps he was just a reanimated corpse too or since he was neither part of the moon or Beryl's domain he just didn't exist anymore. A smile crossed her lips at that thought, pleased by the prospect until something gave a swift donkey kick to her heart. Perhaps not all of her was so pleased by that dim hope. There were parts of herself she would never understand.

Hermione made a scene stumbling in and she looked utterly exhausted and that stress look she wore earlier was just getting thicker and thicker. "Welcome dear, you are rather late. No matter since you don't have the gift, not like your housemate." A hand landed on Serena's shoulder and she was hit by an onslaught of images she had no way of piecing together in a logical assortment or if they were even pertaining to her. Faces she didn't know flashed through her mind's eye and they were usually talking but she could hear none of the words. Then the hand was gone and so were the images, Serena struggled to grab them back, was that her or the professor, or even a combination of both? She missed the thinly veiled insult at Hermione. Those images hadn't been finished, there were still more to unlock and look through.

Professor Trelawney hadn't seen it because she continued without skipping a beat and looked into Harry's crystal. "Of course your final exams will include some who will fail and some who will pass. Some of you might not even show up for it." It was all rather vague and any half-baked psychic in the muggle world could do it as well with the right way of reading people's reactions or having enough background information. "You my dear boy have a Grim within."

"Not that ridiculous Grim again!" Hermione hadn't even sat down yet, she was just putting her bag on the chair so she could get out her books when she snapped at the professor. She gathered it up and stormed out. Harry blinked at Hermione's departure and when he glanced over at Serena she was blinking too. Serena must have been as astonished as he was.

And she was, but not for the same reasons. What on Earth just happened there?

"Ah don't worry about it." Seamus commented from his expert opinion on Hermione and girls in general. "Focus instead on the upcoming Slytherin match."

Harry turned back to what he was doing and left Serena in peace to figure out what was going on. Serena meanwhile couldn't wait until she conference with her moms. They would have some semblance on what happened. Serena looked down at her feet for her textbook so she could adjust focus once more, she needed to think about something else, maybe talk to Trelawney on her own, get more pieces to this puzzle from her too. A book sticking out of Harry's bag caught her eye, it wasn't a school textbook. "May I?" She asked her fingers already on the spine, Harry spared her a glance and a nod and she opened its pages.

There in front of her were two of the faces she had seen. It was a couple holding a baby and they were moving as if they were really happy about its arrival into their little family. Harry glanced over at her when she stopped moving and just stared. How had she never seen this before? Harry leaned closer to whisper as to not draw attention. "It's my parents."

"Oh." She had a feeling as much but she was still just staring at the faces she had clearly seen before. She closed her eyes and began to wonder what it could all possibly mean.

"Are you all right?" Harry whispered seeing her eyes closed and at first thinking she'd fallen asleep. When she nodded but still didn't open her eyes he began to really question what was wrong. "Did the images upset you somehow?"

Not in the way he meant. She reluctantly opened her eyes, shutting the book as she did so and smiled gently at him. "No, I was just committing important things to memory."

Professor Trelawney in typical fashion had heard Seamus's comment but took a while to come about to a response. "Quidditch match?" She mused, ohming to herself as she looked into her own crystal ball. Someone was about to explain it to her when she held up her hand to forestall it. "Gryffindor will lose." Her voice became muffled. "... will win. Harry will fall and others will rise up!"

"Think she's talking about the _last _Gryffindor game." Seamus said on an aside. "Ignore her."

"That's easier said than done." Harry responded to a nodding Seamus who understood.

–

That night before the quidditch match he had trouble sleeping and when he did he was plagued by nightmares. He was startled awake and couldn't settle down again. He got out of bed and went to sit by the window, it had always been a calming tool at the Dursleys and he employed it now. He frowned as he saw Professor Lupin walk back inside. There was a strange dog on the grounds and was standing really close to the Professor. Harry banged on the glass trying to warn Lupin and roused Ron instead who stumbled over to look. Harry looked away for a second so he could explain and point it out but when his eyes turned back to the grounds it was gone.

"Get some sleep Harry." Ron put a hand on Harry's shoulder and then crawled back into bed. "Got to be your best tomorrow."

And Harry _was. _He didn't think he'd ever had a better game. He zoomed around all the players, helping the others on his team stay seated and unharmed as the Slytherins employed dirty tactics to win. Nothing though was overtly illegal. He even helped Oliver score a few points by confusing and distracting some of the other members on the opposing team.

Malfoy tried to taunt him but didn't notice the snitch within grabbing distance. Harry shook his head, it seemed as if Malfoy never learned. He took off towards the sky with considerable speed, causing Malfoy to try and catch up on his inferior model as if thinking Harry saw it. He had but in the opposite direction, which is what he caused his broom to do and almost put it into a straight nose-dive that could cause unconsciousness to a less skilled flier. Malfoy tried to follow and had to pull out feet from the ground to Harry's inches. Harry caught the game ending snitch and all of the points that came with it. They managed to wrack enough up to win not only the game but the the cup too.

Parties abounded through the night. Serena wrapped her arms around him for a congratulatory hug and she was laughing the whole way back to the castle, somehow swept up by other members and pulled from Harry. George and Fred were probably behind that one as he saw her lifted then thrown into the air before being caught again.

Ron was explaining to Harry what was going on their end as Harry couldn't hear what was being said too well while he was playing. Between the noise, concentration and deafeners on the field. The only time he could really hear the stands was when they cheered or booed. "It's a good thing we all have eyes because Seamus could not _stop _talking about your broom. If Slytherins could hear him they would have been privy to all of your moves." Ron shook his head as if the other guy was crazy. Harry might have been in agreement if he hadn't done some crazy moves that included barrel rolls into the crowds that parted them in a frenzy.

"That wasn't always very nice either Harry." Hermione was too excited by the wins though to sound too task-mum. "Where'd Serena go?" Hermione looked around but let out a small yelp as hands found her waist for a hug from behind. "Nevermind." Both the girls started laughing.

"I didn't mind the barrel rolls, I thought they were kind of funny. You never know if the snitch would be sitting on your shoulder or in one of our pockets." Serena linked arms with both Hermione and Ron and before they knew it _their _arms were linked and Serena was off dancing around them, pleased but with what exactly, they couldn't say. Ron's blush was more prominent as it worked its way up the side of his neck and he hastily moved away from Hermione.

Hermione wasn't doing a much better job at hiding her own reaction but at least it wasn't as easily notable. Then Serena was producing Ginny who didn't need as much prompting as those other two stubborn ones. Ginny flung her arms around Harry's neck and gave him a big smooch on his cheek, she withdrew a little, embarrassed by her actions but it didn't last long. "That was so great Harry! Congratulations on winning! I hope next year I can be flying around there with you." She might end up being a chaser or even a keeper if she could prove she was better than her brother. She wouldn't out beat her other brothers though. Those positions would be safe for another year. Though would Quidditch be ready for a four-Weasley team? He supposed the Twins' first year they had Charles on their team too. Suppose they got asked because they could work well together naturally and without communicating in any regular way others could read. What could one more possibly do but benefit them as a whole?

Their party went well into the night and he just dared a Dementor to come and face him now. He was well and truly happy and he figured this memory could carry a lot of weight in conjuring a patronus.


	21. Chapter 21

Year 2

Part 2

Chapter 16/21

Finals were upon him in almost no time, and he passed every course he took, barely in some cases like Potions. He found most uneventful, easy even with a few exceptions. DADA being the top of the line and fun while he was at it, having to fight a lot of the creatures they studied over the term. Harry was looking forward to a whole year of having Lupin as his professor rather than just a term. The two had become friends as well as teacher and pupil. The other being divination, that one left him feeling numb and the results unexpected. He was still reeling wondering if what she said could be true, he'd only seen her get that way once before and what she had said had come true in a way. The rest of the time she seemed like a bunch of BS.

He wanted to run off to tell Ron but he had to wait for Serena to finish. Several of the other students between them came out but there was no Serena yet. He saw Hermione and Ron rushing up the stairs towards him and he held up a hand for them to wait. They explained in hurried breaths and he turned to go with them when Serena came out looking even more dazed than he was. There was no time to explain anything to her, they just pulled her along behind them, throwing the invisibility cloak over them as they went. It wasn't terribly late but they were going somewhere they really weren't suppose to.

"We're going to have to get another one of these." Harry teased as they had to walk bent kneed to get to where they wanted to without being seen.

"Or drop a person or two before our adventures." Ron teased back and got an elbow in his gut. "What was that for Hermione?"

"Wasn't me." She hissed back kind of annoyed by all the talking.

"Serena?" He was brutalized by her every once in a while though she seemed so sweet usually.

"Got me. And that's exactly where I'm staying. Though we could try to figure out a better configuration than four students wide."

"Quiet!" Hermione stressed not wanting to get in trouble during their last week here. There would be _no _chance at getting the points back if they were found out during this little escapade. Even with winning the Quidditch cup to boost their points.

"Where _are _we going?" Serena asked after a moment when they go outside. They didn't quite get to that part yet.

"Hagrid lost the appeal and they're going to execute Buckbeak tonight, get it over with quickly." Hermione explained once more, calmer this time.

"Oh no they're not." Serena denied refusing to believe it and willing to fight to keep the hippogriff alive.

"We're at least going to offer him our support." Hermione explained wondering if she would have to restrain Serena in her defense of the animal. Until actionable measures were to be taken, Serena had stayed out of it but this had started last term when Serena was sure that the ministry would do anything that could be used against her and so hadn't spoken up then, thinking the matter resolved between her and Draco. Why was this so different that she was willing to face them head on? Because the hippogriff didn't have a voice to plead its own case and the voices speaking for it had failed?

Hermione had to commend Serena for her willingness to go the distance for what she believed in. Hermione wondered what she was that passionate about other than her books, what things she cared about in terms of helping others and not just herself. She would have to give that some serious thought over the next few weeks while she took some time out of classes and caught up on next years' reading materials.

When Hagrid opened the door to four floating heads he had to laugh and let them in. Hermione was surprised that Hagrid wasn't sobbing uncontrollably like he had in the past whenever one of his precious animals was in serious danger. He was still sad of course but there seemed to be an inner calm about him this time. "I've been fighting it fer months now. It might be easier on him not ter be so stressed befer, you know."

"Why not just let him go?" Ron asked gently, looking out the window at the creature they'd walked by on the way in. He was chained up as if he was going to go on a rampage.

"Would know it were me. Dumbledore's got faith in me not ter sully me name. Would ha've ter let me go otherwise. Won't do no good fer der critters in the forest den, nor fer yous."

"Oh, Hagrid." Serena held his hands. "Don't be so worried about us. We're not completely feckless."

"No I know thats, its just yer still need a push in der right direction sometimes." That was true enough and Serena tightened her hold on his hands.

"It'll be all right, you'll see. I'll be with you the entire time."

"No lass." Hagrid's much bigger hand rested on her cheek, or at least tried to, his palm dwarfed her entire head. She held a hand on the outside of his reassuringly. "You be with yer friends. They'll need you more." He sniffed and rubbed at his nose. "Next year you'll have more magic education than I've had, even with what I've picked up over the last fifty odd years."

It always surprised Harry to remember that Hagrid was well into his sixties and Dumbledore was much older than that, and not even just in looks, Dumbledore was well passed a hundred. Hagrid knocked his pitcher of milk onto the floor and while Serena and the boys helped to mop it up, Hermione volunteered to fill a new one. "Hey Ron?" She called looking into the deep glass container. "I might be mistaken but this filthy thing looks rather familiar." Sure enough when Ron scooped him out the rat was missing a toe in the same spot, it was Scabbers.

Ron seemed so pleased to see him alive that he gushed over the thing and held him close. "What have you been doing hiding in here? You silly thing- ow!" Scabbers bit Ron's ear as he rubbed his cheek across the rat's face. "You bit me!" He'd never been bitten by it, not really at any rate.

Hagrid made a grunt and then flung the cape over the four of them. "Get going. _Now_, before you get yourselves into trouble!"

They slipped by the Minister Mr. Fudge, Dumbledore and the department of magical creature removal guy but they got a look from Dumbledore as they passed, as if he knew they were there. They went into Hagrid's hut but then moments later they heard the door open again and an axe slice down through the ground with a mild thud. Serena almost ran back to them to tear them a new one and Harry only managed to hold her there and keep a quieting hand over her mouth. Ron was already causing a problem with keeping the cloak in place and without revealing any body part as he fought with Scabbers who was practically screeching to get away. It left Hermione to try and hold it in place.

In moments they saw what caused Scabber's behavior at least, coming out of the forest Crookshanks was sniffing the ground and making tracks towards them. Shortly behind the cat was the black dog that Harry kept seeing. "The Grim." Ron squeaked, finally seeing it for himself.

Hermione became alarmed just as Serena calmed. "It's going to hurt my cat!" She ripped off the cloak to run and scoop her cat up, leaving herself to be bitten or attacked in the process but the dog now seeing the rest was not interested in either the cat or Hermione. He took at a run towards Harry and pounced on the dark haired bespectacled boy. Harry was knocked off his feet, not expecting to be attacked by it, up until now the dog had been relatively peaceful.

Serena was left alone as the dog attacked Ron and after knocking him off his feet grabbed hold of flesh and cloth to drag the redhead away. Harry struggled to his feet to run after the dog, yelling at Serena as he went. "Why didn't you do anything?" Leaving Serena to wonder what she could do about a rampant dog.

She and Hermione shared a look before chasing after Harry and the other two. Hermione still held Crookshanks in her arms who wiggled out and onto the ground when they found where they were to go. The whomping willow crashed down hard onto Ron who howled in pain and then there was no more sound from the redhead. Serena winced as she realized that was partly her fault.

Serena hoped she would have as good of luck with the tree as she did before. "There's a secret passageway at the base of the tree." She explained when they shouted in alarm at her heading straight to it.

"But you'll get hurt!" Harry protested forgetting instantly his annoyance at her. Ron would probably not be so forgiving.

"Less than it will hurt you." Serena held up her hands to calm the willow and show it that she meant no harm.

"Crookshanks, no!" Hermione called out to the cat darting in between the baums. Serena began going after the cat, trying to avoid the slower limbs when it suddenly stopped.

The three humans went in after him and found him sitting pleased besides the entrance, his paw on a secret knob near the slashed trunk. Serena ran her finger over the grooves saddened at the harm done to it. "Must have been the dog trying to get at the button." Serena decided when the slashes looked consistent with a claw. "Smart dog."

"Yeah well right now it has Ron." Harry pushed her into the tunnel, following shortly after with Hermione on their heels.

"Where do you think this leads?" Hermione asked shining the light from her wand at the tunnel.

"No where good." Harry replied back. "Though I think I know."

They did end up outside of Hogsmeade. They ended up exactly where Harry hoped they wouldn't. It took some debate over who would go up first but in the end it was decided Hermione should. She was quickest on her feet with spells and knew more than the rest of them. Harry went up second in a hope that if Hermione failed then he would be their second line of defense. Hermione had her wand out and poised at the dog sitting calmly next to a Ron who was crying over his broken leg, but at least he was given a chair to sit on. Harry reached down to help Serena out and pulled her out and behind him. His wand coming out seconds later to point at the dog too.

"Why are we here?" Harry finally asked seeing just a dog and his friend and not understanding the connection.

"He's Black!" Ron finally shouted when he emerged from the pain long enough to warn them. "He's an animagus." How Ron had figured that out without Black transforming in front of him remained a mystery for the rest of their days. Especially considering what happened later that night.

"An unregistered one if that's the case." Hermione waved for the dog to move away from the injured boy but the dog didn't. "They would have been on the look out for him in this form otherwise."

The dog did change suddenly to reveal a very crazed looking Sirius Black. "It's been rather useful I have to say. When the matter was brought up by Lily one day I was loathe to register, it had helped quite well on numerous of occasions." Harry growled and made a motion as if to strike Black with a spell but he was too quick and smart for that. "Expelliarmus."

Three wands appeared in his hand and Serena frowned as there were four of them to take the wands from. She didn't say anything as she looked around, Harry and Hermione were disarmed and that much seemed expected, she couldn't see one on Ron at all and with all the scratches and cuts on him and his wardrobe it would be harder to hide. Her hand went back and found it in the place she usually stored it between her jeans and the belt. She wondered why he didn't take hers. She didn't pull it out now either. It could wait.

"If you're going to kill me just do it now."

"That's not actually my plan." Black looked expectantly over their heads. "It will all come out in due time." While Hermione glanced backwards looking for what caused Black's attention, Harry bolted forward in pure rage, physically attacking Black and trying to get his wand back. He succeeded and Ron had even helped out. All the wands were taken out of his hands and given back to their rightful owners, Harry handed her the last but it wasn't her wand, she took it anyway.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione called out in shock as the cat darted forward to sit protectively on Black's lap, eying Harry with a dark look. "Get off of him this minute!"

Black reached up to pet the cat, undaunted by the new position he found himself in, he hadn't been out of Azkaban for _very _long, he was still physically weak. "Crookshanks is it?" He mused. "During all of our silent communication I never did learn his name. He has been very helpful, not least of which was stealing passwords for Gryffindor tower for me." Surprise rocketed through all of the foursome watching him, even Serena. "A very fitting name, isn't it, _Serena?_"

Serena swallowed hard, she'd had some idea, she did, she just wasn't expecting so much glib from him in the face of Harry's animosity. "What are we going to do now?" She managed to ask, knowing what she was going to do if things got out of hand.

"We're going to bring him back for the authorities to deal with. Aren't we Harry?"

"I'm going to kill him." Harry argued. "The authorities don't get to have him, I'm going to repay all those years I've lived with people who had no interest in raising me much less having me under their roof. For taking away a loving family who had included you in it until you betrayed them!" Harry aimed his wand at Black ready to attack and figure out a good one to use to end Black's life, maybe something slow and painful? But he didn't have it in him to do something so dark, he just wanted justice.

"Going to kill me Harry? Only one has to die tonight." Black was looking not only crazed and unconcerned by Harry's obviously angered state in which he could probably do anything, but gaunt too. His cheeks were hollowed out and he looked almost feable.

"You'll be the one to die tonight." Harry vowed. His wand was taken suddenly and Harry looked to Serena and Hermione thinking they were the only ones who would do such a thing but their hands were free from wands too. "Wha-?" He didn't even get the question out as he found Lupin with not just the three he and the two girls had but also Ron's and another two as well. One of those two he was holding in his spell casting hand, the cause of unarming the others.

Serena knew this time hers was taken as well. "Sorry Miss Riddle but hiding a wand won't stop me from taking it. It's for your own good." Professor Lupin motioned for Harry to get back and Harry followed instructions thinking that Lupin would now do what he had wanted to do himself. "Well well Sirius the flesh finally reflects the madness within."

"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you Remus?" Black responded with a hint of a smile as if he was mocking Lupin. Lupin's stern expression suddenly changed as he held out his hand for Black who took it and was pulled into a hug. "It's good to see you again in this form."

Hermione looked on in disbelief, coming forward despite the obvious dangers, her anger quickly overriding her confusion. "I covered for you! I thought it wouldn't matter that you're a werewolf but you've been aiding him all along! _You've _helped him into the castle, you took on this post all to kill Harry!"

Lupin turned the wand on Hermione for a minute, only to force her back with the others. Now Ron was still sitting though with difficulty and the other three stood around him. "You really are the most clever of young witches. There is none other in your generation that could hold a candle to you. You're just not up to your usual standards, only one out of three correct I'm afraid. I won't deny I'm a werewolf but I haven't been letting Sirius into the castle, he's been doing that all on his own, or with the help of your cat, can't be sure which yet." His eyes darted to Sirius who gave an unconcerned shrug, it didn't really matter. "And I _certainly _don't want Harry dead..." Here he shivered.

"But you're helping him now! You're on his side and he wants to kill Harry!" Hermione protested even as Lupin gave Black one of the wands.

"Shall we kill him together?" That odd look entered his eyes again. "Kill him for the crime that I've been sentenced for?"

"Now now Sirius it would be better if we kept him alive. However if you want to we can but Harry has a right to know the truth."

"But maybe a little torture, what do you say? Then we'll kill him." Sirius leaned forward with glee, pointing his wand into the center of them. Serena took a step away but the wand remained fixed.

"All right." Lupin's wand came to rest on the same spot.

"Wait!" Serena shouted as she realized what they intended. She took a step back towards the others. "Let me help. I've no love loss for him."

"Serena?" Three faces turned aghast at her announcement and Lupin looked to Black for his opinion, but he was already handing Serena a wand. "_How_ _could you_?" Hermione demanded as Serena took another step closer.

"Step back Hermione. You too Harry." Serena ordered as she closed in on Ron who had his hands tightly around the rat.

"See I didn't believe it at first either but Harry pointed it out to me and for him to be alive could only mean one thing. Forgive me for thinking you were the spy Sirius."

"If you'll forgive me for wondering that myself, Remus."

"Of course. It's quite understandable."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione took a step back as Serena came towards them but kept in front of Harry, she would have to be gone through first.

"Give me the rat." Serena demanded of Ron in an aside as the others tried to explain. Every time Lupin started to explain they interrupted him and he finally passed back their wands.

"Peter Pettigrew is alive and he's in this room." Lupin finally got out despite all of their accusations that Black had been behind Harry's parents' death, that they shouldn't kill Harry, that James was probably more clever than even Lily in many ways, etc, etc, they got it already, jeez, it was like being told he had his mothers eyes or striking similarity to his father's looks and aptitudes.

Black was doing a little song and dance in the background as he couldn't wait for Peter's death and he was trying to taunt the unseen man. They heard noises underneath the rant and Lupin looked upon the other man sympathetically, knowing how hard it had been and unjust, not hearing or seeing what caused the noise until all the wands from the adults were taken yet again and Snape revealed himself from underneath Harry's cloak. Apparently they'd just left it by the Whomping Willow. Oops.

They'd have to explain all of the other happenstance things like their animagus forms and werewolf turning and yadda yadda later, including the map which allowed Lupin to follow them here. Snape was furious and almost gleeful as he turned his wand onto Sirius. "I have waited many long years for this. A Dementor's kiss is too good for you Black!"

"Ah Snivellous, welcome to the party." Sirius taunted, clearly not at the right end of the stick to be doing so, but did nonetheless. "I wonder how you came to be here."

"I was following Lupin. I told Dumbledore we had a traitor in our midst but he wouldn't believe me when I pointed it out. I feel vindicated, that kind of friendship doesn't just end when one becomes convicted. The two of you were always cut from the same cloth."

"Why thank you Snivellous." Black preened like a peacock. "I couldn't have looked for a better comparison."

"I guessed your role in all of this Lupin but I never imagined that you would drag a student into it as well. Miss Riddle stand down." She was facing Snape with the wand at the ready but she looked less than willing to use it. "This is one of the few chances you'll get to prove to everyone that you are not just like your father."

"Why would it matter to you?" Black asked. "You would prefer it if she went down the Slytherin path, wouldn't you? The only reason you think you hate me is because of your precious feelings for one-"

"Sirius, enough." Lupin hissed. "You know none of that is completely accurate, up until recently I hadn't realized it myself."

"That's not the only reason I have to hate _you_. I knew you were bad from the first day I met you." Snape sneered. "I was surprised you didn't follow the path the rest of your family took, but then again I suppose it was only to trick everybody into thinking you were one with the order."

Hermione frowned at the weird word choice but none of the others really noted it. Harry stepped around Hermione and his disarming of Snape caused a small explosion which he winced at, not wanting to be in anyway similar to Lockehart. Snape fell back and hit his head against one of the wood beams. He turned to Serena intending to do the same when she held up her hands in peace, letting the wand dangle but her other hand was wrapped firmly around the rat almost squeezing its head off. "Let me explain?"

"Oh there will be explaining all right. Your deception and betrayal will be dealt with momentarily. I want to hear more about Peter Pettigrew."

"Then let me show you." Serena's fingers twitched around the wand in a weird motion they'd never seen except for maybe a few tricks by bored people and the wand was back in her firm grasp and against Scabbers's head.

"No!" Ron called out thinking they were going to kill his rat. Though that _would _be out of character for Serena. Serena didn't heed that cry and a bright light shown around Scabbers momentarily before a man started growing in its place. Black and Lupin had their wands out and trained on him.

"This is Peter Pettigrew. Sit down Peter." Lupin ordered and the rat-man sat heavily, looking more like a rat than Harry would have expected from what Black looked like, except his shabbiness there was no similarity to the dog he'd seen all term. "You've been a rat for a very long time, it must have taken a great deal of discipline not to turn back into a human, even for a moment."

"You knew, didn't you?" Hermione looked to Serena who winced as she had her wand on the man too but other than turn it into a light and this last trick they hadn't seen her use it much if at all.

"Only for like... a month." She felt as guilty as she probably looked. "I was in the forest and Sirius saved me from- something... Anyway he and I had a conversation."

"That's not how I remember it." Black cut in. "You were injured and had me sit with you while you healed. It was rather strange you'll have to tell me about that at some point. But I never answered any of your questions, I couldn't."

"No and even if you were a regular animal you wouldn't have been able to either." Serena waved him off. "But I do communicate with them and we weren't doing it the way I usually did. I thought about another animal that refused to communicate with me in any capacity and I instantly thought of the rat. He is a rat isn't he, the animal fits. It should have been your first clue." She pushed her hair off of her shoulder. "Crookshanks is different too but in a hard to explain way. He's not one of the animagi but he's smarter and more sensitive than usual magical creatures, much less regular cats. Anyway, that's when I knew, I remembered McGongall's demonstrations with her own transfiguration and I put the pieces together. That and he had sent me a necklace with his image and by then I had already known that his sister was my mother."

"But how could you know to trust him?" Hermione had her wand on Serena, no longer trusting her as much as she had before. "How do we know anything you say anymore can be trusted?"

"I told Harry as much, well maybe not the injured bit, that I told Snape, or the dog in the forest bit, that I kept to myself... I told Harry that Sirius was my uncle, right away. As for trusting him, well that was easy, he saved me then sat with me without a moment's consideration to harming me. Besides I have a way with these things." She shrugged. "I felt nothing but love pouring out of Sirius's animagus where I felt nothing but disdain from Rat-boy."

"It's Wormtail." Sirius said as an aside, giving further provocation for insulting the man, and it was just an off the cuff comment anyway. "But continue." He stroked his hair, glad to hear good things about himself.

Serena rolled her eyes at her uncle. "Anyway I was never out to betray you, I just wanted to get _Wormtail_ by himself so I could bring him here. I was unaware of their _stupid _plan to grab Ron if need be just to get at him. I'd have sent a Hufflepuff after the rat eventually."

Hermione couldn't help the snicker and turned her wand onto Scabbers or whatever his name was, he only had a million of them. "I suppose I understand Serena."

"I don't. Why is my rat a person?! I've had him for ages and he's never done anything to suggest otherwise-"

"Oh do shut up Ron." Hermione cut him off. "We've got bigger things to worry about other than you losing your pet."

"Like killing him." He gave a chortle of glee and Harry looked at the fat balding man with consideration as Peter started begging for forgiveness and mercy.

"No, we won't." It was one thing to want to kill Black when he'd found out but the unfortunate man had already suffered through fourteen years at Azkaban and he had been his father's almost brother and _his _godfather. The betrayal that man had done would have been astounding, however Peter had not suffered as such. Harry ignored the protests. "That's too good for him, we'll hand him over to the Dementors, clearing your name in the process. They can administer the kiss on _him _instead. Besides Dad, if what I've heard from Lupin is true, wouldn't have wanted you guys to become murders just to kill another one."

The others reluctantly agree and Sirius gave in, claiming that Harry is very much like his father and the man would be proud. Harry doesn't let Sirius touch him quite yet, there were still a lot of unanswered questions and while he had as much proof as he needed for Sirius's Azkaban commitment to be overthrown, there are still other details he didn't understand. Like how Pettigrew could be the one to betray his parents in the first place with so much love and responsibility placed on Sirius.

"I'll explain it all on the way back to Hogwarts. It'll be nice to get my life back again." Sirius was still a little maniacal but in a different way now.

"What do we do about Snape?" Harry had probably put too much emphasis behind that spell, he'd have to back off of it if he wanted to perfect it.

"Leave him." Sirius replied uncaring that it was so flippant of a response. "He came of his own violation, he can leave that way too."

"You _really _don't like him, do you?" Harry was amazed anyone could be so similar to his own feelings on the matter.

"No, I don't. He was always getting underfoot at school and causing trouble for the rest of us." Sirius shrugged. "How do we manage the rest of this mess?" He looked to Ron apologetically. "Sorry about the leg. There would have been minimal damage if it wasn't for that Whomping Willow."

Ron rolled his eyes, half passed out with the shock of it. "I'll come up the rear with him." Serena crouched next to his leg looking at it.

"Are you the best person to be-" Lupin cut himself off, of what he'd seen of the foursome they were all mostly capable, _Ron_ being the exception. "All right, but don't strain yourself." Lupin gestured for Peter to stand and march, binding them together. Harry and Sirius took the lead with those two following behind them.

"Get away." Ron tried to push Serena over and away from him, Hermione was standing on the other side. "This is all your fault, you and that father of yours-"

"Ron!" Hermione chided while Serena continued inspecting his leg.

Serena glanced over to Snape. "He's seen too much, he'll expect some damage for you to be left practically alone and in a chair. He'll look for you at the infirmary. I can't remove everything." Her fingers slid along his calf and he groaned in pain as his bones realigned and mended back together, not as if stitched but as if they'd never broken to begin with.

"What are you?" Ron asked half in pain and half in relief.

"I'm not anything special." Serena had been sharing far too much with them recently. Far, far too much that didn't belong in this environment. It was things they couldn't begin to understand. Hermione was looking at her funny. "You won't find your answers in a book." Serena warned and helped Ron stand. He could put pressure on it now at least and having had his bones healed by Serena lent some allowances towards her once more. "None that are in this library at any rate." Her moms' personal library which consisted of two shelves in Harley's walk in closet, a closet she only filled up half way with clothes, so her's got nominated for their secret book collection with some of Seren'a first year books on it too. The rest of the shelves were packed with other items that she was particularly fond of and helped in her hobbies too.

Hermione slid under Ron's other arm and they walked him towards the door. Serena reached out and brushed her hand over Snape's head on the way, urging him to wake up sooner and with less of a headache. She couldn't do anything for his attitude. He'd ask about this but she'd explain that it wasn't nearly the same thing. She just hoped he came to when they were well away from the whomping willow.

Sirius and Harry walked together up ahead and the silence became kind of awkward in the light of Harry wanting to kill him for the last several months and almost tried to just a half hour ago. "You wouldn't have done it." Sirius finally stated and Harry looked at him in confusion. "You are too much like your father though you don't know it. He had a sense of humor but he never took the joke _too _far, not like I had a tendency to do. Probably still would, I haven't really gotten to know myself in the real world, haven't since I was in my early twenties."

Harry nodded. "I suppose I can understand where you're coming from. I'm sorry that you ended up in Azkaban when you didn't really do anything wrong. How did that happen?"

"It was when they were rounding up a numerous number of death eaters and everybody tried to plead innocent or coercion, I'm told some even claimed they were physically forced and they had no control over their bodies. I believe that only so far. Anyway I had too much evidence against me and not enough time to plead my case. I was found guilty before I even stood trial. I didn't have anyone in my corner, the ones that would have were dead, debilitated or turned away from me in disgust believing what the public did. I might have been able to reach Moony but I thought Peter was dead and I didn't have enough time to sway him either. I screamed my innocence, I'm sure you've seen the pictures, but nobody listened. I had that and my ability to turn into a dog on my side and so I waited and fought. There hadn't been much desire to leave though, they would only track me down and issue the kiss. At least inside the prison I could stay alive."

"Hermione said there were only 7 registered animagi in the last century."

Sirius nodded. "I don't suppose there were too many more that were unregistered. Not to boast, but maybe a little since we only did it to hang with Moony, but it takes great skill as a wizard and dedication to become one and it can go horribly wrong, as with a lot of things in our world." He glanced back passed the two men following to the trio at the end. "She knows something about that, I think."

Harry looked back and wasn't sure if he was talking about Hermione who had got stuck as a cat with polyjuice potion or Serena who didn't seem to hold any magic at all, well not the acknowledged sort at least. "I suppose she might." He covered his bases no matter what Sirius meant.

Sirius nodded and looked unsure at Harry. "You know I'm your Godfather, don't you?"

"I learned about that somewhere along the way. And you're also Serena's uncle."

At Harry's comment Sirius stopped in his spot. "You don't say? I knew Cassi was pregnant but I got too wrapped up with all the intrigue and secrecy that I couldn't keep in contact with her. Not to mention all the owls intercepted and some of which never made it. I thought she had given birth by the time I was put into jail but... Serena? Isn't she? Well I suppose it would make sense since she married _Snape_." Harry wanted to know what that meant, but he suspected he already knew and it coincided nicely with what he was already feeling towards the man. "How's your mum?" He called back to Serena, obviously not hearing or remembering that his sister was dead. Harry felt bad about that and winced, opening his mouth to say so and explain it to him best he could when Serena made herself heard.

"Which one?"

"She _didn't!_"

Harry put his hand on Sirius's arm and his eyes snapped round to Harry. "I knew you were born, I was there the day it happened and many times in the six months leading up to Lily and James going into hiding. Every once in awhile I would see James but you were hidden away with your mum. I know this is going to sound soft and maybe daft and you probably won't understand because you didn't know who I was up until well, depending on the version, at the very least a few months back, but I loved you since the day I met you. You were like a nephew to me, hell, James and I didn't need to _be _blood to have a bond closer than any blood relative. Though I did like my sister too, my brother on the other hand could sit next to our mother the rest of his dead days."

Harry felt like he was reeling. "So you knew your sister married Snape but not that she was carrying Voldemort's child?"

"That's correct. Though I should have known something was fishy, Snape would never have married her otherwise. She was too closely related to me and he was in love with another woman."

"She's, well I hate to tell you this now and like this but, she's dead."

"Do you know what happened?"

Harry shook his head. "Serena would be the better one to tell you, she's spent time combing through all the information surrounding the lot. All I know is she died sometime within a year of marrying Snape."

"Figures he couldn't keep anyone alive. He's so bloody weak." Sirius ran a hand through his hair, his fingers catching. "No wonder she didn't come to see me or stand my trial. She was somewhat simple but had a big heart and was really young in all ways that mattered. She would have come no matter what anyone else said or did, she was like that. Just to support me and our blood relation. I thought maybe someone _had _gotten to her somehow, probably threatening her child's life."

They walked further in silence as Harry had no good response to that one. Serena would have probably argued that Snape wasn't weak, just that he had his skills in areas that they couldn't grasp, like Neville but still different. Harry wouldn't dream of saying such a thing though he didn't think Snape _weak_, he did scare Harry from the first day onward.

Sirius started the conversation again but on a different topic. "I don't know what your life is like outside the castle walls when you return home, but since I'm you're godfather and also named as legal guardians in case of their death, I wanted to invite you, if you were willing to come live with me. If you don't want to that is alright, I know we don't truly know one another and there might be an adjustment period but I would like and be willing to try it."

Harry didn't say anything for a moment, he was still trying to digest that before he nodded. "I would also be willing to give it a try." Anything was better than living with the Dursleys, even a previously convicted mass murder, even if he was never pardoned or _had _committed the crimes he was jailed for. He didn't think it appropriate to put _too _much enthusiasm into his voice, after all he didn't really know the man.

"Unfortunately it might not be right away, I need to clear my name and find us a place to live though I have an idea about the latter. It shouldn't take too long, just the clearing of the name is the only major factor, then the rest shall be resolved within a week or two. I'll make arrangements for you to come." Excitement was filtering through his voice with a large difficulty to hold it bay. "We'll have a lot of fun you and I."

Harry offered the man his first smile as the idea thrilled him. They would have to talk more, later, for at the moment they had reached the base of the whomping willow. Harry went out first to make sure the path was cleared for Sirius, if a teacher saw him alone they might attack and ask questions later. It was, then Sirius, followed by Lupin and Peter. Eventually they managed to maneuver Ron out with Hermione taking the rear. She praised Crookshanks as she came out who once again was holding the lever for them.

"I'm afraid in my youth I wasn't so kind to myself or the tree, growing so frustrated at times that I took it out on it." Lupin shook his head sliding a finger along one of the scars left. "I am so pleased I can just lie in my office as a wolf now and keep my mind intact. Snape does have one benefit my friend, he makes the best potions. They've helped a great deal over the months.

"Er..." Serena drew everyone's attention. Sirius started to ask her a question when she grew pale. "Professor Lupin, Hermione... did you ever say how many nights he was affected by the full moon cycle?"

"At most five days, depending on the contributing factors why?"

Serena bit her bottom lip as she tried to make a calculation. "What are some of those factors?"

"Well scientifically it is the fact that for only a nano-second is the moon actually 100% round. Since that does not seem to affect Werewolves in practice I suspect it is because they only turn into one when the moon is up in their sky. Werewolves in England will be affected by it when it is overhead but werewolves in Japan are returned to their human state."

"And the reason you do not teach, despite the fact that your classes are during the day in these intervals?"

"Because the Moon can come up during the day and I do not want to risk my students during a change nor do I have the energy until after the cycle has passed with a day or two to help regain it." Lupin explained, also looking at her like she wasn't quite right in the head.

"And this cycle has finished?" She asked, as if his appearance here this evening wasn't in part due to the fact that it must be.

"Should be, its hard to track when it comes up and goes down when I'm in my office but Snape hasn't been by to give me my most recent dose of potion and he does a better job of tracking that than I do."

Serena made a face they hadn't seen on her before, it was partly a grimace and partly like she was about to expound bad news. "You came after us not because Sirius and you had planned this meeting, you had seen us and Peter's name along side Ron's. You came because you wanted to protect Harry."

"And the other three, well four, sorry Sirius its taking some getting used to, of you as well." Sirius raised his brows but he didn't say anything. "All of your lives are important. It's not only my responsibility as a teacher but I also feel an underline of friendship with each and everyone one of you, in different ways and degrees, but its there."

Serena nodded not responding overtly to that. "Unfortunately there's not much time." She closed her eyes. "I feel it getting closer. Do you have any of that potion on you? An extra vial or something?" She _knew _that each had to be finished the day he took it or it wouldn't work, that's why so many of Snape's personal caldrons had been filled or in the process of being cleaned when she was so ill. She knew this but she still hoped that even a day old potion would give him some kind of help or a boost in tranquility or _something!_

"No. Why-ay-ye? He suddenly realized what she meant and Sirius seemed to as well. He instantly grabbed Lupin trying to talk some sense into him, telling him the man was more powerful than the beast and he didn't need to have the potion to retain himself and his goodness.

"My old friend, please fight, this isn't you, you are _good_."

Lupin though wasn't hearing as he started to feel the change, Serena's moment's notice was enough of a heads up for Lupin to try and take steps away, to keep them from being hurt in the change and possibly ignored by the wolf.

Snape chose that amazing moment to pull himself out of the tunnel and he rounded on Serena and Harry. Hermione and Ron were too far back to get the full brunt of his ire. "What do you think the two of you are bloody doing? That was irresponsible and dangerous and-" He noticed that they weren't paying him any heed as they were staring behind him at the change going on, a bit petrified and awed at the same time.

Snape turned and once he realized what was happening tried to shield Serena and Harry with his body as he had no wand to try and scare the wolf off.

As this was all happening, Peter managed to wriggle his way out of the bonds holding him. He stole Lupin's wand and sent an attack at the group of kids and single adult. Lupin backhanded Snape by accident in his transformation and the man went flying. Peter's attack managed to hit Ron of all people, the only one who couldn't have chased after him and seeing his folly turned once more into his rat form and took off. Black no longer able to deal with Lupin saw this and went after Peter, he was the only thing that could clear his name. He erroneously thought that Snape was able to deal with the transforming Werewolf.

All of this was a mere matter of moments and Serena stepped forward once the wolf took complete control and tried talking to him. She held up her hands beseechingly and the wolf stopped and came closer curiously. He took a big sniff of Serena's hair and reared up in outrage and took a swipe at Serena. Black came back as a dog and rammed into Lupin in an echo of earlier events but with several main items seriously changed.

Lupin still managed to break skin but it wasn't as deep as it would be and knocked Serena backwards as he went flying to the side. Black and Lupin chased each other away from the Whomping Willow and towards the lake. Serena landed at Hermione's feet in a daze while she bent to check on the blond. "Are you all right?" Hermione asked looking at the bleeding slashes. "Can't you heal yourself-?" But the question was pointless because she already knew that answer, had been told it before.

"He didn't respond to me."

"He did, until he smelled you." Harry was looking Ron over to make sure he was still alive, he was. "Something about the combination didn't work."

"You were right." She said to Hermione feeling faint.

"I wish I wasn't." Hermione dragged Serena over to Snape and laid her head on his stomach before she and Harry dragged Ron over as well his head rested on Snape's knees. "Keep pressure on the gashes." Hermione directed Serena and the she turned to Harry. We should really get the teachers involved or at least Madame Pomfrey, Ron's all right and will wake up soon enough and Serena had taken away the major issues with his leg but I'm worried about Serena's wounds and running out of blood before we can get real help."

"We have other people to worry about too and I'm surprised all this commotion hasn't grabbed someone's attention." As an aside in the middle of that."Sorry Serena." And she had not taken offense to his, correct, priorities as he continued talking to Hermione like he hadn't said anything to Serena at all. "Do _you _want to do the smart and sensible thing by going off to find Pomfrey?"

A yowl from a dog took the words straight from Hermione. "Let's go help them!" They ran the direction they had last seen Black and Lupin. Dementors swarmed the entire area from where they left Serena, Ron and Snape to where they found Black, cowering as they got closer and closer to him.

Harry kept trying to blast the Dementors away but he had little affect on them. None of his patroni were strong enough or maybe it was his memories that were faulty? Hermione slumped to the ground next to him and he kept moving, trying to get closer to Sirius, but he was weakening and darkness was starting to close in. Depression and exhaustion were heady mixtures and the patroni were getting smaller and less effective too. The Dementors figured he was just as guilty as Sirius as he was trying to fight them off and he was right there. Hoods lowered on two of the Dementors to reveal gray skin and empty eye sockets and mouth. That mouth- it was a gapping hole of sucking power and it was trying to suck out Harry's soul. Another one had almost completed its task on Sirius. Harry reached out, wanting to touch him, shove his soul back in, keep his godfather intact-

White light distracted his attention, back where he had left everyone, there was a flash but then it was gone and it seemed to have lit up the sky like lightning that didn't strike. His eyes started to close when another bright light appeared. It raced around all of the Dementors pushing them off and away. Harry tried to find the source of this magnificent patronus but the man was too far away to see properly, though he did look familiar. It couldn't be, could it? Was it- could it really be his dad?

–

Harry woke to Snape talking and he never took that as a good sign. He just couldn't recall what it was that went wrong. If only Snape would say something useful or stop talking altogether, the latter of which was preferential.

"I saved all four of them from a werewolf and Black." Snape boasted suddenly answering Harry's demands and it all filtered back in. Fudge responded to that but Harry was no longer listening, he was remembering and he bolted up in his bed to go find... his father? No, that couldn't be right, there was someone else that needed his help, his father could wait.

He turned his head to make sure his friends were still all right. Ron was laying in his bed looking morose and staring at his raised leg. Hermione was sitting up too, looking to see who was also awake. They both turned to look at Serena at the same time. The curtains were pulled once more and Harry almost pushed off to go investigate, it _couldn't_ be a repeat of months ago, they would take care of it now if it was the case! But Madame Pomfrey pushed wide the curtains and Serena was sitting in her bed as well, tying her last string on her gown shut.

She looked up and smiled at Harry. "Oh good you're awake."

"What's wrong with you?" Her skin was paler than usual and there were dark circles around her eyes as if she'd gotten punched in both or on the bridge of her nose but the rest of her looked fine.

"Madame Pomfrey, the wonderful doctor that she is was just making sure that my scratches were healing properly and that I hadn't been bitten in tandem. I haven't, so no turning into a werewolf for me. Would have been disappointed a week ago, I thought it would be cool, but now, now I'm quite relieved after seeing what it does to the person who turns." She gave a small shudder. "I'm glad this wasn't layered on. Last time I thought something would be cool, I was given it and now I'd give anything for it to be taken away again." She changed gears quickly and turned it back on him but she seemed mildly more upbeat. "How are you?"

Harry wanted to ask more questions because she had never had darkened eyes before but he did a self-check instead. "I'm feeling a lot better."

Serena nodded and there wasn't anything more said between them, which allowed for Snape and Fudge's conversation to filter back in and remind Harry and Hermione that there was something serious still underfoot. "Black will be receiving the Dementor's kiss when the sun rises. It won't get interrupted this time." Fudge was heard saying and Hermione was just a split second behind Harry in pushing the covers to the side and jumping out of bed to find the two men.

"You've got it wrong!" Harry started in and Hermione started talking behind him, they were explaining about how Sirius wasn't the one that killed all those people, he hadn't even killed Pettigrew or betrayed his parents.

Snape didn't even turn towards them while he waved them off. "You're suffering a bewilder charm. Ron hit his head on top of it."

Ron wasn't even there arguing but he _had _been hit by a confound charm, that they couldn't deny, yet it was Snape that hit his head, not Ron. Perhaps he couldn't recall that Peter Pettigrew was standing there with them or knew who he was. Or maybe it was because Snape hated Sirius so much that he didn't care if the man was innocent or not, he wanted his death.

Hermione and Harry continued arguing their point, kept protesting the events and that the man was innocent of all charges. Dumbledore walked in minutes later hearing their tail-end of their tale, which they had echoed now twice and were continued to be ignored. Nobody listened to children, even when they spoke of what no one else knew.

"I'd like to speak to these two alone, if you would." Dumbledore dismissed the professor and minister. Once they were gone he ushered them back into the room with Serena and Ron. Ron had fallen asleep once more but she was kicking her heels over the side of the bed, looking at the ground as if it were some sort of enemy she had to conquer and was deciding if she could or not. "I do not recommend it, you are not yet strong enough Miss Riddle. Madame Pomfrey has strongly suggested that you stay in bed."

"But I feel stronger and what she gave me is working well. It's not my legs that were injured." She argued, looking up longingly at Harry and Hermione.

"Best not to involve yourself this time around." Dumbledore smiled kindly at her. "You've used up a lot of energy already."

"I suppose you're right." She sighed and scooted back so she could rest against the wall. "I wasn't there last time either."

Dumbledore nodded. "See, it all works out. You won't even notice the time." He turned to Hermione. "I have gone to see Black and heard his story."

"It's the truth, we saw Peter Pettigrew ourselves!" Harry cut in.

He lifted a hand to calm the boy down. "I believe you and I believed him. Unfortunately there is no proof and not everyone will accept the word of a handful of fifteen year olds and a convict. If there was more time we could have saved two lives tonight." He touched his nose and there was a twinkle in his eyes and he left with no more prompting.

Harry turned to Hermione wondering if she could possible understand what he was talking about but she was grinning ear to ear. "That's a perfect solution!" She wrapped something around his neck so it was around both of theirs and flipped the hour glass backwards three times. Serena waved them goodbye but Harry didn't think they were leaving any time soon.

Hermione let go of the hourglass and it spun quickly. The room began to spin as well and Harry had to close his eyes, something he noticed Hermione didn't do. When he opened them again a second later the scenery was the same and still but there was nobody in the room with them, no Serena nor Ron. He opens his mouth to ask her a question when she grabs his hand and pulls him from the infirmary. "Come on, we have no time to waste. Where were we at 7 o'clock?"

Harry thinks about it and ventures a guess. "Hagrid's?"

"Of course, _two _lives!" Hermione runs in the direction of Hagrid's hut and hunkers down in the forbidden forest just out of sight.

"Hermione, what are we doing here?" Harry looks around and notices that there is still some daylight. "Did we miss a day?"

"No, we've gone back in time." Hermione whispers as their past selves leave the hut and Dumbledore and two other men enter with Hagrid. Harry stares as his past self left thinking he'd gone crazy but he remembers taking those steps. "We have to hurry." She sneaks closer to Buckbeak and it is as if she is channeling Serena as she talks to the animal, but she can't get it to budge without finding another way around his stubbornness. She spots his favorite food and uses it to lure him into the forest.

They get further and further away from the scene and hear a familiar thud and a different sort of howl, one of joy. They lead the hippogriff around the cabin and towards the whomping willow staying well out of sight.

Harry sees their past selves go down and he tries to take after them but Hermione holds him back. "That's not how things unfolded before. You can't let anyone see your future-self, especially your past-self. It's a sure-fire way to go insane. I've had to mark out where I was going and when every morning so I wouldn't cross my own path with a quick decision change. I got the time-turner to take more than one class at a time. Something I won't be doing in the future, but I'm not the first." She rubs the back of her neck as she thinks of all that work and how close it had gotten to unraveling her at the seams, something that was pretty hard to do but with little sleep, especially over the last month it had almost succeeded. "You can't go into the future either. Sure it has the capability to do so but you never know that where you stand there won't be someone there in the future or if it still exists. A lot of witches and wizards have died that way. You have to plan very carefully when and where you go back and make sure you end where you started _after _you've left."

"Sounds complicated." Harry breaths. "I'll leave time-travel to you."

"As you should." Hermione responds promptly and they settle in to wait, watching first Lupin then Snape enter through the whomping willow's base. Lupin had a much easier time of it than Snape, but then he should, shouldn't he? Snape only really had need to go in there once, maybe with all the years he taught here he'd gone again but it was a place filled with bad memories. He winced as he thought of Sirius in those days taunting Snape to do something incredibly dangerous and he could have died if not turned as well. Thankfully his father had saved him. Harry couldn't imagine doing the same, even to Snape but then he had yet to get the drop on Malfoy in such a fashion and if he did, would he respond the same way? He'd like to think, no, he wouldn't, but without hearing this he might have. He didn't know any werewolves other than Lupin and there was no way Malfoy would venture near the whomping willow or the forbidden forest without being ordered to. History wouldn't repeat in this at least. Not like what he viewed in front of him.

He watchs with his fingers itching to blast Peter where he stood as they came out and Serena started to put pieces together, as Lupin turned into a werewolf and knocked Snape down while Peter ran. Black took off after Peter but returned almost instantly in a bid to protect the children as Snape had belatedly done. Past-Harry and Past-Hermione took off after the two wolf-like-cousins. Future-Harry and Future-Hermione watch as the Dementors came over head, most continued on but some stopped above Serena and the two unconscious figures on the ground. Future-Harry and Future-Hermione dart forward to try and help Serena as she was descended upon.

"Great." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice as she noticed it herself. "Couldn't come five minutes ago, could you?" She pushed herself to her feet and Harry wanted to stop her, to help her save her strength, blood was still spouting but she ignored it. "Leave us alone." She commanded and took a fighting stance. The Dementors paid her no attention and continued advancing. "Well I did warn you." She pulled something out of nowhere, it kind of looked like a wand but it was a lot thicker than theirs and there was a weird crescent moon on top of it. It almost looked like a child's toy and Hermione pushs off the ground to stop her but suddenly a white beam shot out of it and into the mass of Dementors around her. Most were pushed back, really far back and of those most left in fear. The ones that were closer and kept coming despite the light were disintegrated.

Harry's mouth drops open as he witnesses this, his patronus, if he could conjure one, would only shove them all away and possibly get them to leave, it was like a deterrent but her spell actually destroyed them. The sky lit up around them like lightning that didn't strike and now he knows what he saw earlier was Serena's magic, a magic from a source he had no bounds to understand.

Hermione stopped to check on Serena while Harry ran to find his father, he wanted to see him in action. "Hermione." Serena smiled as she dropped to her knees, out of energy but still managing to hang on a little. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you're all right. You look-"

"You have to help Harry. He can't do it without you." She looked around. "Shame, even now I don't get to come with you." Hermione's mouth gaped like a fish. "I've known all along, you knew I knew, or at least I thought you did." Hermione knew that Serena was aware that not everything was so cut and dry like the boys thought but she hadn't a clue that Serena knew there was time travel involved. "Don't let my mom know about it, she'd have a heart attack. She thinks she's the only one who should travel time." Serena's eyes closed and she fell the rest of the way to the ground and landed on her back.

Hermione rushes to where Harry stood gawking at a spot near him, under his breath he keeps chanting for his dad to come. Hermione pushes him onto it. "Don't you see? You were the one who did it. You have to do it now before you both die!"

Harry pulls out his wand and it takes him a moment but he finally digs deep enough to conjure a patronus and boy is it a beautiful one. It prances through and around the dementors forcing them back, forcing them to leave and it comes to stop near him. It is a stag, just like his father. He understands now that what he was seeing wasn't his father but himself and his homage to his father, a magnificent stag patronus. It disappears quickly and Harry turns to Hermione. "What now?"

"Now we find the tower and figure out a way to save Sirius once he's brought there and had a chance to talk to Dumbledore." Hermione pulls Harry along behind her where Buckbeak is still waiting.

"Wait, what happened with Serena?"

"She fainted. I don't know what she used or how she did it but it took her remaining energy and she collapsed. We can grill her later." Hermoine stops as they near Buckbeak and looks at him unsure. "Do you think we have to ride him now?"

"Probably." Harry helps her on before he gets on his back as well. Buckbeak lands outside of the tower, near the back where nobody would come look. It shouldn't take too long for people to realize that what they saw was a fight of some sort and to go look for any injured persons. Then they would drag Sirius off to the tower and bring the rest to the infirmary. He just isn't sure how long it had taken for them to be found to when they woke up, but Hermione doesn't seem all too concerned. "I knew what time it was when we left. As long as we don't exceed that time limit we should be fine. We've got about a half hour before _you _woke up." So they wait again, and Hermione explains they couldn't go back and forth with the time-turner unless they changed positions every time but that would get tedious too and it was better to just wait time out. They would arrive at the same point eventually and as long as it wasn't weeks, months or years that would be easy to accomplish and make-sure they landed in the right spot at the right time. Some would forget where they were meant to be and would then stumble across themselves. They also couldn't keep going back to the same time or even a bit before and keep going back again and again nor could they go back and then go back again. It was all very complicated, he'd thought it before and she just compounded that thought once more.

He shies away from thinking too hard on whether or not she'd told him this in the past or future. They watch as Sirius was carried into the tower, it _was _a castle after all and like all castles it had either a tower to hold people in or a dungeon and this one seemed to have two since the latter was filled with students periodically. The guards left and Harry tries to make a move to bust him out when Hermione pulls him back down again.

"We have to wait until after he talks to Dumbledore or we'd never be here to do this." Harry opens and then closes his mouth, too much more of this and his brain would implode. He settles down next to her and waits out Dumbledore's subsequent arrival and then leaving and he looks to her as if asking if they could finally, _finally_ finish their plans. She gives a short nod and they work their way to him. It is relatively easy to break him out, Hermione only has to cast one spell and he is free.

He pulls Harry into a hug and Harry while blushing tries not to pull away first, he just isn't used to affection. "I meant what I said." Sirius tells him as they fly to a safer location to split up. They don't have much time now. "Once things settle down I want to have you move in with me. We could be a real family."

"I would like that a lot." Harry had gone to save him several times in the last few hours and in Harry's book that as good as made him family. He'd also had time to process things during the waits and ignoring of time-travel laws. He realizes how much he wanted to live with this man and all that it could mean.

Sirius helped Harry and Hermione off of the hippogriff and smiled at the girl. "Thank you so much for all of your help. I don't think any of this would have been possible without you." Sirius glances at Harry to include him in it. "No one can succeed alone."

"I was wondering-" Harry began. "Well seeing as if you're related to Serena as well and-"

Sirius laughed. "Oh she's my niece all right. Now that I know, I see my family resemblance in her stubbornness and a few other traits I'd seen watching the two of you. I found myself encountering her quite a lot in the forest though I don't think she saw me. Not like you did on several occasions. I just had to see you, I couldn't help myself and I got caught. As for Serena, I had to make sure that Riddle's daughter wasn't going to cause you any harm. It seems I haven't had to worry about a dual pull with her, at least not in that sense. Her real calling has overcome any darkness he might have left for her. I don't think even with his influence she would have ever harmed anyone."

"You think she might come live with us as well?"

The man takes a moment to think about his answer. "I would love to have her on as well but it is up to Serena to decide what she wants to do." Hermione starts fidgeting as she looks at the time-turner. "This is where I'll have to leave you for now. I will keep in touch, in the meantime, go spend some time with your friends." Sirius pulls Harry into one more hug before getting on Buckbeak again and taking off, leaving Harry and Hermione to run to meet up with Dumbledore outside of the infirmary.

They start telling Dumbledore about their success but he shushes them kindly. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He opens the door for them and they go in, Serena turns her head to look at their new location. "It was a success Miss Riddle."

Then the door closed and Dumbledore left. They didn't know that Snape came barreling through in a rage all set to accuse the children of misdeeds but Dumbledore intercepted him first. He told him he had been with them the entire time and they had never left his sight. All of which was mostly true. "One day when you're calmer I will explain all."

Snape grumbled and stormed off. His award had been rescinded.

–

It was days before they were to pack up and go home. It was calm and the four friends sat with a few other housemates on a grassy knoll. Serena stretched out like a cat who was satisfied along the others. "It's a beautifully warm day. Not a dark cloud in sight."

"It's strange how much warmer it got without the Dementors lurking about in the distance." Harry agreed as he leaned back against a tree trunk.

Hermione was reading one of her books but her head perked up at the conversation and she gave an exuberant nod. "They've been gone only two days but already I feel so much less stressed."

"I thought that was the lack of taking three classes at a time doing that for you." Ron teased at her feet.

She gave him a little nudge with her shoe in playfulness. "It could be that too."

A dark shadow fell on the group and some of the ones who had heard but hadn't been in on the conversation were startled at it. They thought maybe Dementors had returned. Instead it was just Hagrid. "There you guys are! I've got good news and bad news. First Buckbeak managed to survive the execution and somehow escaped." They all knew that but they managed to put on a convincing job that they hadn't and were pleased by it, which wasn't that hard to pretend because it was true. "Bad news, and this affects all of you. Professor Lupin is packing up to leave. He's not coming back next year."

"No!" Hermione gasped and jumped to her feet. "Why?"

"Something got parents in a twitch. He's being forced out." Hagrid didn't sound pleased by it in the least and they apologized as they rushed off to go see him. Hagrid waved them away anticipating their reaction to such news, which is why he gave them the good first.

Lupin was packing up his last case when they came bursting through the door. "Ah if it isn't the replacements." Lupin teased in a lot better humor than they'd known him by, though he was always kind and tried to always be in good spirits.

"You're not upset?" Hermione ventured in curiosity.

"Oh heavens no, it's the nature of the beast really. If I hadn't been bombarded by mail then I would have left on my own accord. After that night I realized that no matter how much potion I've taken I can never really be guaranteed not to hurt anyone. I know I haven't had as bad of a night since I was a child and first bit but I shudder to think what I could have done to Miss Riddle."

"Please, call me Serena now that you're no longer our teacher."

"Of course, Serena. A person is only the name they go by. Seems to be a theme in our society. If you've chosen to be known as Serena then who am I to say any different? Ah, I almost forgot but you'd reminded me of it." He produced the map with a flourish and handed it to Harry. "I don't feel bad giving this back now." He tapped his nose to go with the smile.

Harry took it and just stared at Lupin in wonder. "But you shouldn't have to leave just because of one night. It could have happened to anyone but everyone knows better now."

"I stayed away until I was sure the moon was reduced from 100% to almost 90. I didn't want to risk it. I came here to do what I wanted and that was protect you from a man only I knew well enough to stop. Even then I wasn't clever enough, that could have only been passed down to you from both parents. I am glad that things have been cleared up. I was missing one of my dearest friends and I hate to admit it but to me Pettigrew was no big loss in the end, I wrote him off as dead a long time ago. It was Sirius I couldn't ever get over. Now that the truth is known, to us at least, I am glad that I was here to accept it once and for all, and possibly get a friend back. Your parents are another loss I'll never truly get over."

"But I have so many questions!"

"And eventually they'll all get answered. Where are you lot going?" The other three were slowly making their way out of the room trying not to be noticed.

Serena put a hand to the back of her head sheepishly. "We figured it was Harry and the major-man-in-his-life-at-the-moment talk."

"I rather thought it was the wrap-up the year talk." Ron countered also looking anywhere but at the two still in the center of the room. "Or at least end of the DADA teacher explanation. I'm rather used to getting a recap after the fact."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You two."

"Then why were you leaving?" Ron turned to her and the two of them started squabbling.

Harry smiled at Serena, waving her forward once more. "You can stay, this affects you too."

"I'm not entirely sure that's true Harry, but I can sit in on this for a change." She found a desk and sat upon it leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees listening attentively.

He explained about his troubled past and all the major events that lead up to now and why Harry's patronus was a stag, how it mimicked James' animagus and reiterated something about a curse or was it something else, more like a destiny? How there had been two boys that could lead to the end of Voldemort and thus that's why Voldemort was after Harry. He'd heard all of it before but at the same time there were small details he hadn't picked up on. He still didn't understand what they were talking about but Serena was frowning harder and harder with each word he spoke on it.

"So it's a self-fulling prophecy?" She finally asked at the end when Lupin was out of words on the matter.

"I don't know if I would go so far as to say that." Lupin shook his head to clear his thoughts. "If it were then it is all the better for us."

Harry was looking at Serena with a thousand questions in his head. What did she mean, what did she know, what wasn't Lupin saying? Would he ever know what all these secrets entailed?

Serena sighed and looked down at her hands, she knew all about self-fulling prophecies and they were really hard to break the cycle. A lot of times no matter what you did you couldn't do it. She also knew about vendettas all too well. How they could turn a person's life upside down for no reason except to satisfy the person making the moves against you. They were nothing but big bullies who weren't loved or given what they wanted on any given moment and reacted badly to it and thus set into motion another pattern or cycle but this time with reactions rather than repeated events.

Harry was about to question Serena further on it but Ron and Hermione's fight grew in volume and the mood was broken. She shook her head, jumped to her feet and with a giant grin left their side and went to go tackle the two into a bear-hug. They had little choice but to acknowledge the change and hug her back or she'd never get off of them.

He ended up turning back to Lupin. "I really wish you wouldn't leave. Dumbledore would back you up and keep you on no matter what the parents have to say."

"I think its for the best Harry. Dumbledore has already done far more than enough for me. I've got a friend in need and this commitment wasn't supposed to last long. Its given me a little more vigor than I've had in years and I owe it all to you and those three there. Never lose that friendship Harry. It's what keeps you going and you never really realize the truth behind that until you lose them."

Harry impulsively gave his professor a hug and the man returned it a bit stiffly as if he was as foreign to physical touch as Harry had been before he met his friends here. Even now he was still a little awkward in returning hugs or even starting them but it was getting less so every minute he spent time with them and their families. He pulled back slightly. "I know that its not official like Sirius or anything but I would have looked upon you as an uncle if my parents had lived and I would like to do so still if that's all right with you?"

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure Harry." The man pulled him in close once more before setting him back and dusting him off. "Now you really must be getting on and I've got to finish packing. I'll be seeing you soon." Lupin rubbed beneath one eye and he cleared his throat as if it had grown difficult to talk. Harry knew that he was sensitive to others viewing his emotions, it was something Harry knew all too well.

Harry wiped at his nose and slowly backed away, nodding his agreement. "See you around."

The three behind him scooted out before he walked into them and as soon as he was out the door and it shut behind him, they enclosed him into the center of their little circle. It was a sad time for them all though it probably could have been worse, much worse. They were still upset to see their favorite professor go. "We'll never have as good of a DADA teacher." Ron commented ruining the mood and Serena pushed him playfully.

He started back for her intending to return the favor but she started backing away. He got faster and she kept up the speed and soon they were running down the hallway laughter echoing the halls where they went. Hermione and Harry looked at each other for a moment, shrugged and then ran after them.

There would be plenty of time for introspection, for now they were going to have some last minute fun on campus, go to the last feast of the year and cheer for whoever won house cup as long as it wasn't Slytherin. All in all it would be good, despite some lower keys that would undoubtedly be struck at times.

–

Harry was on the train and it felt weird being on it again. So much had happened since he boarded it last year to go home. He hadn't gotten to ride it to Hogwarts in the first term and he didn't during break. He looked to Serena and she took his hand in hers and squeezed reassuringly. The world out there might have changed and they might have changed but they'd be able to face anything together.

He was going to go stay with the Dursleys' for one week and that was only to get his stuff in order to move it into Serena's house. He would remain with her and her family for one more week before Ron and his dad came to pick Harry up for most of the remainder of the summer. The last week he was gone from Hogwarts he would go back and stay with Serena once more and from there they would disembark to the train station. It meant moving his wizarding stuff around a lot but the rest of it could stay with Serena and the three women in her life but he wanted to stay with her on the bookends and make sure that they didn't feel like he was using them for storage.

Serena said they'd offered and she'd accepted on his behalf without even asking him. He wouldn't argue but things would still be difficult having to see Dudley on the street but hopefully it would be less often.

All of a sudden something hit their window causing Serena to jump and grab at her chest but she relaxed her hand and settled back into the seat even as Ron let the culprit in. It was a small fluffy owl carrying a note addressed to Harry.

Hermione snatched it and read it out loud for all of them. "Dearest Harry and Serena, I apologize for not getting to speak with you properly before. I was too excited to get the chance. It is a matter I would love to address in the future. Perhaps the two of you can come stay with me next Christmas break when I finally get settled in. I am well and my friend has had to leave me for better property, what I found for the time being didn't suit him. I can't say I blame him, it barely suits me and I have little cause to be so picky of my surroundings.

I would like to clarify some things while I have you all together. Firstly, yes, I did send the Firebolt. I am sorry to have caused your old broomstick to break, I was just too curious about you to let the opportunity to pass me by. I wish I could give you something of your heritage, Serena but unfortunately I cannot go to the old home as it is being watched by the dementors and the ministry. Anything that remains there is full of dark magic or destroyed and this is not something I would like to pass onto you. I apologize for neglecting you since the truth came out, but there hasn't been much time. I don't come from terribly good stock but I have seen some people choose the better path. I don't have anything to give you but myself and some familial connections you might find beneficiary and who will be interested in you as well. I worried about the two of you living and being so close together. I see now that I needn't have worried, you have a good and strong heart. I hope you take good care of it and that the two of you can look upon each other as more like siblings than friends now that you are both under my guardianship.

Hermione sadly I have nothing for you – 'figures' – but I hope you continue on as you have, you are on the right path. Anything you need in the future and which I can provide, please do not hesitate to ask. I owe you more than my life. Now Ron, to accurately apologize for the leg and the loss of your pet, I have bought and sent you this bird. It may not be much now but it will continue to grow and will belong to you for a long time and will only, have to, get better.

Sincerely, Padfoot

P.S. I have also attached two Hogsmeade passes for you to use next year." Hermione finished the letter and handed it back to Harry. "Can't be too careful, Peter Pettigrew is still out and about and he's bound not to be as happy with us as he used to."

"We're just lucky that letter was for us all." Ron sat back into his spot next to Harry and looked his owl over, stroking its feathers and turning it to get a better look at the patterns. He was going to start talking about their plans for the summer but now he was adequately distracted from that vein of thought. "I'm just sorry you can't come stay with me earlier, no offense Serena, I just mean skip staying at your aunt's and push the timeline up a week and keep it until the week agreed upon."

Harry flipped through the pages once more, handing Serena her pass and she pocketed it. She slipped the note out from Harry's hand and perused it once more on her own, her eyebrows funneling as she read and Harry talked. "Think of it this way, its good practice at terrorizing them. Any time they raise a finger at me or start saying one mean word, I can always drop the fact that my godfather who loves me very much is a wanted killer."

Serena giggled at Harry's words, giving the letter back without saying what was wrong, though Hermione looked on disapprovingly at the joke but even she found the humor in it and had a small chuckle. Neither were as great as Ron's rip-roaring but that was to be expected. His humor at the joke only expanded their own.

The summer looked promising.


End file.
